ANGRY FARMERS will this morning picket Government Buildings in Dublin during the Cabinet meeting over the closing of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (Reps).
The Cabinet made the decision last week to close the next round of the Reps scheme (Reps 4) to new entrants, which has shocked the farming community.
On Saturday next the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) will hold a mass meeting outside the constituency clinic of Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith. The Green Party was yesterday the target for the IFA, which accused it and its leader, Minister for the Environment John Gormley, of turning their backs on one of the key principles of his party by abandoning the environmental scheme at Cabinet.
“Ministers Gormley and Sargent must realise that the Reps scheme has brought about significant environmental benefits to Ireland, which can be seen throughout the country,” said IFA president Padraig Walshe.
“The Reps scheme has led to the establishment of 4,000km of carbon-saving new hedgerows and the re-establishment of a further 3,000km of hedges,” said Mr Walshe. “In addition, the Reps scheme has significantly reduced the use of chemical fertilisers by over 100,000 tonnes on farms in the past decade and is essential for organic farmers to cover their transition costs,” he added.
He said it was clear the Greens in government do not care about these environmental measures, which added value to the rural economy and were based on positive environmental measures.
“I would be particularly critical of John Gormley, who needs to look to the positive aspects of the Reps scheme,” said Mr Walshe.
The Labour Party called on the Minister for Agriculture to engage with farm bodies on cuts to Reps and other schemes which would drive farmers on to social welfare.
“This decision to close Reps 4 to new applicants will severely affect up to 34,000 farmers who are due to complete their environmental plans over the next four years,” said Seán Sherlock, Labour agriculture spokesman.
“Many of these farmers are already on low incomes, and closing off the revenue stream associated with Reps will mean that they may end up turning to seek social welfare support under the farm assist scheme,” he said.
“In other words there would be little or no net saving to the State, and all the environmental benefits associated with Reps would be lost,” he said.
Fine Gael social and family affairs spokeswoman Olwyn Enright said the European Commission funded 75 per cent of Reps, while the Farm Assist Scheme for farmers was funded by the exchequer, and questioned whether the Government had calculated the real financial impact.