Farmers protest outside Govt TD"s offices over REPs 4 cuts

As large numbers of Meath farmers face major income cuts from the REPS scheme cutbacks, the Government has been accused of 'losing the plot" regarding the crisis in Irish farming. Cllr John Farrelly said the government decision posed a very serious threat to ordinary farm families who depended on these payments. 'The government, along with the EU, invested in this scheme all along to bring up farming and environmental standards and this decision makes no sense,' he said. Cllr Farrelly said the Minister for Agriculture should consider his position as he was laying the foundation for the total demise of Irish agriculture. He said the minister was totally out of touch with the plight of the farming community 'The price of all commodities have gone back to 1970s" levels, including milk, grain and beef and this is coupled with supermarkets dictating to suppliers to provide them with products at 10 to 20 per cent less, so they can go on a price reduction binge,' he said. Meath IFA chairman, Eddie Downey said that the proposals would have a terrible effect on Meath farm families. 'A lot of people spent a lot of money to get to REPS standard. They borrowed a lot of money which they now owe to the banks, but the REPS cheques they were depending on wont be coming,' he said. Mr Downey said that REPS payments could be worth €100 to €200 a week for farm families and they would find it extremely difficult to do without it now. Meanwhile angry farmers picketed outside the home of Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey on Sunday, and outside Deputy Johnny Brady"s office in Kells this week. The protest was part of a nationwide picket of homes of Ministers across the country. Members of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmer"s Association (ICSA) held a sit down protest on Kildare St outside the Department of Agriculture offices on Monday to protest at the REPS decision. ICSA president Malcolm Thompson said farmers had been unfairly singled out for more excessive cuts than any other sector in the October budget, and suffered further financial hardship with the decision to pay the Farm Waste Management grants over three years rather than as agreed. All of this comes on top of the National Farm Survey, which showed a 13.7 per cent decline in farm incomes in 2008. 'The closure of the REPS scheme is potentially devastating. For many farmers, especially in the cattle and sheep sectors, the REPS scheme is a substantial component of their income. Many farmers will see their income halved from these budgetary cuts and when product price drops and bank repayments are factored in, incomes will be wiped out totally and some will be put out of business. This is the reality of these government decisions,' he said.