Sir, – Over the past year, the bad weather, combined with cash flow problems, has spelled the end for many small farmers with low income and bad land.
The weather is something no government can do anything about, but cash flow is a different matter. If you don’t have money, you cannot buy fodder.
The last Fianna Fáil/ Green government, by dismantling most of the disadvantage area schemes such as 25 per cent area aid cut, abolishing REPS and other schemes, sealed the fate of many small farmers. Fine Gael and Labour has offered no alternative. The IFA, unlike the trade unions, wouldn’t ballot its members as it knew the outcome would be that an overwhelming number would not support 80 per cent of the CAP payments going to 20 per cent of the biggest farmers.
Surely any fair system would pay extra in relation to poor land, not good land. Fine Gael, Labour and the IFA should immediately call on Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to bring forward the autumn payments to avoid an impending disaster and fast-track all Agri-Environment Options Scheme payments so that farmers can buy ration and fodder.
The Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and Green austerity regime hasn’t worked; it has wreaked havoc on rural Ireland. When “The Wild Colonial Boy” left Castlemaine for Australia, at least he robbed the rich to serve the poor. Our government has robbed the poor to serve the rich simply because the rich were able to grease the electoral wagons of political campaigners and in return got bountiful favours, while mother Nama offered a safe haven. All, of course, to be paid for by the poor. Is this a fair Ireland? – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN,
Cahermore,
Castletownbere, Co Cork.