The Government’s refusal to analyse the impact of cuts to Farm Assist shows a total disregard for small farmers across the North West, according to Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue.
Charlie McConalogue TD
The Fianna Fáil Deputy has accused the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton of targeting low and middle income farmers through “disgraceful and highly discriminatory” changes to the Farm Assist payment in Budget 2013.
“The changes to the qualification criteria for Farm Assist introduced in that year’s budget have had an enormous impact on the most vulnerable farmers in Donegal.
“It’s got to the point that for many, it’s simply not worth their while continuing to farm.
“These changes, which were introduced by the Social Protection Minister Joan Burton in Budget 2013, came into effect at the beginning of this year.
“The Minister has discontinued the 15% income disregard, after cutting it from 30% in the previous year.
“Many of the 1,554 farmers who depend on farm assist in Donegal have seen huge cuts in their income as a result.
“Donegal has the second highest number of farmers dependent on the Farm Assist payment in the country. Low-income farmers depend on this payment to keep their farms in business.
” I meet local farmers every week who have felt the full impact of the changes and are genuinely fearful about their livelihood.
“It’s unacceptable that Fine Gael and Labour are refusing to acknowledge the impact of their cuts on farming families.
Perhaps it’s a case that Dublin Minister Joan Burton does not understand the devastating impact that this cut is having on the farming community in Donegal.
“If that is indeed the case, it’s simply not good enough for her and her Government colleagues to ignore calls for a full impact analysis of their cuts.
“The Government representatives here in Donegal, including Minister Dinny McGinley and Deputy Joe McHugh must see just how harmful this is to the local agriculture industry.
I am appealing to them to stand up for the farmers they represent and ensure that this harmful cuts are immediately reversed.”