THE IRISH Farmers’ Association will protest later today outside the Fianna Fáil “think-in” meeting in Athlone over the proposed cuts in the McCarthy report.
IFA president Pádraig Walshe said yesterday the organisation had identified annual savings of €439 million which could be achieved in the net Department of Agriculture budget between 2010 and 2012. He claimed the sector could contribute to Ireland’s economic recovery if properly supported through the crisis; export earnings could be increased by €2 billion and employment increased by more than 16,000.
“The cuts in funding to vital farm schemes already implemented and those proposed will further exacerbate the dire income situation of the sector and undermine the contribution of agriculture to the rural economy and environment,” he said.
“Our alternative is telling the Government: go elsewhere for savings. Farmers are facing an income drop of 25 per cent this year on top of a 14 per cent cut last year.”
Mr Walshe said the savings proposed by the McCarthy report would impose additional costs to the exchequer in the form of increased social welfare payment of €240 million, €36 million more than the proposed cuts would save.