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Donegal farmers hit by welfare
cuts
21.03.14
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DONEGAL'S 1,554 farmers
have seen their income cut after recent changes to
the Farm Assist payment, a local T.D. said. |
Deputy Charlie
McConalogue claimed the changes are "threatening the
future of a number of family farms" across the
county.
“Farmers were previously assessed based on 70 per
cent of their means, but under changes introduced by
Minister Burton, they are now assessed on 100 per
cent of their means. The result is that for many
farmers, it’s simply not worth their while
continuing to farm," said the local T.D., whose
family runs a farm in Gleneely.
“This could become the final straw for some Donegal
farmers who are already struggling with cuts to
support, cuts to prices and increasing operating
costs. |
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Donegal T.D., Charlie McConalogue. |
The cuts to Farm Assist
are forcing many farmers to seriously consider
giving up on the family farm.
He said Minister Joan Burton appeared to have "no
clue" about how these changes are impacting
thousands of farmers across the North West.
"Her changes to the assessment criteria for the Farm
Assist has seen many of the Donegal farmers on farm
assist experience cuts as their payments come up for
review.
“What we have here is a Dublin-based minister making
a cut to a key farming support affecting thousands
of farmers across the country, without any
understanding of how this will impact the farmers
themselves, the local economy and the agriculture
sector as a whole," he added. |
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