With significant additional resources available to the Government for Budget 2019 and talk of economic overheating and ‘rainy day’ funds, the IFA President Joe Healy said Agriculture Minister Michael Creed must deliver for farming and rural areas.
“This Government has to show that it is not all about Dublin and that they are in touch with rural Ireland. They can demonstrate this in tomorrow’s Budget with real measures to tackle low farm incomes,” he said.
Additional Funding
In its Budget campaign, the IFA has focused on getting additional support for sucklers, an increase in ANC payments, the Earned Income Tax Credit to match the PAYE tax credit, Fair Deal and the extension of reliefs to support investment in the sector.
“While there can be debates about how best to support the low-income sectors, it is essential that Minister Creed secures substantial additional funding to support farmers,” he concluded.
As part of its campaign to support and protect rural farmers, the IFA lead a protest outside of the recent beef forum in Dublin, in protest of the Minister’s lack of action.
Confirming that they would not take place in the talks at the time, Healy said that the group has “tried to constructively engage at the Beef Forum which is presided over by Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, but nothing has been delivered”.
"Our patience has run out and we need real action and delivery by the Minister to address the disastrous situation for farmers in the livestock sector,” he said.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
