This article is from page 19 of the 2013-02-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
FARMERS in Clare need a fairer share of the common agricultural pie, as farmers in the Banner are currently receiving half the amount paid to the east coast, Clare councillors have argued.
The three MEPs Mr Gallagher (FF), Jim Higgins (FG) and Marian Harkin (Ind) attended a meeting with Clare’s county councillors to discuss a number of issues including the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) told the meeting “ultimately the decision made in Europe will have a huge impact here in Clare”.
He said the average CAP payment in Mr Gallagher’s county of Donegal was € 6,112; in Mayo, where Mr Higgins is from, the payment is € 5,373; and here in County Clare the average payment is approximately € 8,000.
The figures in the west coast he argued are significantly less when compared to Waterford where the average payment is € 16,000 and counties such as Kildare and Kilkenny where the payment are at € 15,000.
“The people in the west of Ireland did not choose the land they got,” he argued and the system should be more equitable.
Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) said, “I think there is a much more favourable and amicable payment to be had. Farmers on better land get almost twice the payment than the west of Ireland.”
Cllr Pat Burke (FG), who is also a farmer, said he disagreed with any suggestion of a flat payment per hectare.
He argued that the payment should go to active farmers, and not to farm- ers who have set down the land.
Mr Gallagher told the meeting that times have changed and so has Europe’s attitude to CAP in the last two years.
“If I were here two years ago I would say I was very concerned as it was said CAP would be reduced by 35 per cent. There was a time when only rural areas were in support of CAP,” he said.
He said that urban areas now see the importance of the market and are also supporting the Common Agricultural Policy.
“We want to ensure that Ireland gets a fair share of that.”
Mr Higgins said that the allocation under CAP is reduced only slightly for the period 2014 to 2020.
“One of the things that is crucial is that we project direct payments,” he said.
He added that there is also a proposal supported by Germany that young farmers will get a 25 per cent “top up”.
Ms Harkin, who is a member of the Agricultural Committee, said that the cut to REPS has been significant. “A lot of farmers have been cut off at the knee.”