IFA Rural Development Chair John Curran has called on Minister Martin Heydon and his Government counterparts to honour in full the political promises made to farmers.
“Political action in recent weeks has hit farmers hard. These decisions need to be corrected urgently or there could be significant long-term consequences. Mixed political messages are helping no-one,” John Curran said.
“They identify as an absolute priority in the programme for government the need to strengthen farm incomes, yet they cut payments in vital schemes like the National Beef Welfare Scheme, National Sheep Welfare Scheme and the National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme,” he added.
“To strengthen farm incomes means to add or enhance them, not take away from them. Farmers entered these schemes in good faith and incurred the costs of doing so. They need to be paid in full as anticipated’ he said.
“The programme for government outlines the need for harnessing renewable energy in the agriculture sector, but because of inadequate support and political decisions, its likely only one in every four farmer applications through tranche 9 of the TAMS Solar scheme will be supported,” the IFA Rural Development Chair added.
“And only one in two applications for LESS technologies will be supported. We estimate almost 800 farmers interested in making these key investments may be impacted by the decision to apply ‘rank & selection’, while just over 1,500 overall, which will only be added to in future Tranches potentially.”
John Curran said while there was never full certainty of success, the precedent here was that if applications were solid, they would get approval, but now farmers have invested time and money in preparing their applications fully to have the rug completely pulled from under them.
“All eligible applications in TAMS tranche 9 and 10 should be approved and the Government and the Department of Agriculture need to engage urgently both internally and with the IFA to ensure meaningful and attractive alternative supports are in place before pulling up the TAMS handbrake,” John Curran stated.
“Given our make-up, farmers will always be in the spotlight when it comes to cutting emissions and reducing our environmental footprint. Roof-top solar and LESS are key interventions that will make a difference.”
“Lack of progress can’t always be put at the door of farmers. Farmers have engaged with technologies and schemes to improve farming’s environmental footprint, with significant progress being made. The willingness to do more is certainly more, but the adequate supports are needed.”
“The Minister and his department must work hard to ringfence funding from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, and release it for farmers to undertake impactful on-farm renewable investments, including roof-top solar,” he added.
“The benefits from on-farm Solar are helping reduce our Energy emissions so it’s incumbent on the Department of Climate, Energy & Environment to pony up here too to meet future demand from farmers seeking to install roof-top solar energy systems.”
“Political decisions have turned the dial in the wrong direction. The Minister and his government colleagues need to correct it, and soon, before further trust and confidence in this Government’s commitments to farming is eroded,” John Curran concluded.
