Forgotten Farmers Situation Must Be Addressed

During a debate on the so called ‘forgotten farmers’ at the Dail Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this week, I once again stressed the need to have these farmers under the age of 40 included in the new measures under CAP reform. At a time when certain beef barons are receiving farm payments of up to half a million euro, it is grossly unfair to treat younger farmers this way. We have to encourage young people into farming and they way things stand at the moment is certainly not the way to do it. We need to address this situation immediately or we will be reverting to the landlord situation in this country and we certainly don’t want that to happen. A relatively small amount of money will rectify this situation and it will protect the family farm unit into the future which is so important. I will be continuing my campaign to have this situation addressed by Minister Coveney and the Department of Agriculture.