News
Nov 24, 2009
Smith brings forward €85 million in agricultural payments
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith TD, today announced, following the agreement of the Minister for Finance, that he is seeking Dáil approval for a Supplementary Estimate for his Department to facilitate the spending of savings arising in the Department’s Vote.
The Minister indicated that no additional Exchequer funding is being provided but that, if agreed, the Supplementary Estimate would enable the savings, as well as EU receipts, to be used to increase the existing allocations, principally to the Farm Waste Management Scheme (FWMS) and the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS).
Minister Smith said that an additional €39 million would be allocated to REPS and he would now be in a position to commence payment of the second instalment of the farm waste management scheme (FWMS) grants in December, rather than in early 2010.
Mr Smith expressed his appreciation to the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan TD, for his agreement to the use of the additional receipts and savings. Minister Smith said that he was “very conscious of the income difficulties experienced by farmers this year” and said that it was “in that context I wanted to improve the cashflow situation of thousands of farmers by bringing forward almost €85 million in payments under REPS and FWMS to December, which would otherwise have fallen to be paid early in the New Year.”
The Supplementary Estimate will also permit the payment of approximately €1.2 million under the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM). Minister Smith said that “given the value of the agri-food sector to the recovery of the Irish economy, it is essential that we continue to invest in R&D and this decision is evidence of further commitment in that regard.”
The Minister said that he fully acknowledged the role of the Oireachtas in considering his Department’s Supplementary Estimate and said that he would be “requesting the Members to support the Supplementary Estimate at this difficult time for farm families.”
Minister Smith said that an additional €39 million would be allocated to REPS and he would now be in a position to commence payment of the second instalment of the farm waste management scheme (FWMS) grants in December, rather than in early 2010.
Mr Smith expressed his appreciation to the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan TD, for his agreement to the use of the additional receipts and savings. Minister Smith said that he was “very conscious of the income difficulties experienced by farmers this year” and said that it was “in that context I wanted to improve the cashflow situation of thousands of farmers by bringing forward almost €85 million in payments under REPS and FWMS to December, which would otherwise have fallen to be paid early in the New Year.”
The Supplementary Estimate will also permit the payment of approximately €1.2 million under the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM). Minister Smith said that “given the value of the agri-food sector to the recovery of the Irish economy, it is essential that we continue to invest in R&D and this decision is evidence of further commitment in that regard.”
The Minister said that he fully acknowledged the role of the Oireachtas in considering his Department’s Supplementary Estimate and said that he would be “requesting the Members to support the Supplementary Estimate at this difficult time for farm families.”
