In the last week with regard to the national reserve we have seen some farming organisations claiming victory for what has happened. The simple facts are that the way it is set up at the moment once again gives the two fingers to young people who want to go into farming as the terms and conditions have been completley changed this time around. Sadly when it comes to linear cuts and other issues the main farming organisatnions could have given options in line with proposals I made that the top line figure of 50,000 Euro could be cut and no one should be afraid to say that.
We have also seen in the last week that there has been no move on the ‘forgotten farmer’ situation. We asked the question of the department how many farmers were in this category. Two years ago the group representng the forgotten farmer got a figure from the deparment. Two months ago I asked the department to put that figure in writing and they said they would not be able to do that. I am now going to embark on a campaign nationwide to get an accurate figure for the numbers in this category. I believe that the department figures for this category are way off the mark.
When I went into the talks for the Programme for Government as an independent in good faith, there were other independents around me that I expected to stand up and be counted when it came to the forgotten farner and other issues concerning farmers. I did a document on this and other independents looked at it and agreed with it. The issues included, sheep ANC’s and I had brought the forgotten farmers group to Dublin when those talks were on.
Sadly some of these independents have seemingly forgotten about the people on the ground and delivering on what was agreed, and they seem to have got caught up in the circus of Government. It may be worth their while to take a few hours out and rethink of what went on at the time of those talks and the vision of where we were going at thats stage and it might bring them back to reality. Thay might realise that the people on the ground are more important than fulfilling everything that a Government wants to do.
