Smith to meet farming groups over funding

MINISTER FOR Agriculture Brendan Smith is to meet the farm organisations shortly to discuss funding.

Mr Smith told the Dáil that a priority of his was to secure national discretion for the operation of specific supports funded from the single payment ceiling.

A deal agreed meant that a minimum of about €23 million in new money would be available to Irish farmers from 2010, with a much smaller amount available next year.

"I invited the farm organisations to meet me later this month to discuss how best this new money can be used and a date for that meeting has now been fixed," said Mr Smith.

"Although I think it important to get the views of the stakeholders, I do not intend this to be a lengthy process and I expect . . . an early decision following the forthcoming meeting."

Mr Smith defended the Government's agricultural policies in reply to a Fine Gael private members' motion condemning the suspension of the young farmers' installation aid scheme, the early retirement scheme and the reduction of payments under the disadvantaged areas scheme. The motion, which was debated on Tuesday night and last night, was defeated by the Government.

Fine Gael spokesman Michael Creed said that farmers had never shirked their patriotic duty.

"However, their steadfastness in this regard should not be confused with they being a soft touch in the context of attempts to shore up the position following the Government's mismanagement of the public finances," he added.

Martin Ferris (SF, Kerry North) said that all the Budget cutbacks in the agriculture sector should be reversed. The cancellation of the installation aid scheme represented a betrayal of young farmers.