Martin Ferris TD, Seán Oliver (SF), Pat McCarthy (UFA), Martina Anderson MEP, Councillor Rose Conway Walsh, Bertie Wall (President UFA), Michael Clarke (NIAPA) and Councillor Gerry Murray.
Donegal Sinn Féin TDs Pádraig MacLochlainn and Pearse Doherty have welcomed the initiative taken by party colleagues in leading a delegation of Sinn Féin and farming representatives to Brussels to discuss the proposed reform of the Single Farm Payment.
The delegation met with Mike McKenzie of the Agriculture Commission and discussed the implications of the proposals for Irish farmers.
The Deputies said: “Martin Ferris TD led the delegation to Brussels, which was an opportunity to put the concerns of the Irish farming community before the Agriculture Commission in Europe and ensure that their voice is heard as part of the ongoing negotiations. Having visited and met with farmer’s representatives in this County as recently as January as part of the Rural Ireland Campaign, Deputy Ferris would be well placed to highlight the concerns of Donegal Farmers on this issue.
“We are aware that the ongoing negotiations are of huge concern to farmers in this County and the manner in which the Single Farm Payment is distributed over the coming years will be a deciding factor in determining the future viability of farming for many farmers in Donegal.
“Figures for 2011 show that Donegal has the lowest Single Farm Payment average rate per hectare of €166.77 and Donegal farmers receive an average of just over €6,000 per annum in Single Farm Payments compared to an average of over €16,000 per annum to Kilkenny Farmers.
“Sinn Féin has long argued in favour of a more equitable system of farm payments under the CAP. Fundamental to that is a limit on the amount any one person can receive in a year and the stopping of payments to large agri-businesses. We propose an initial limit of €100,000 moving to a lower cut-off by 2019.
“That would free up substantial sums which could go towards a higher rate of per hectare payment. At present the system of payments is skewed towards a small number of larger farmers who receive a disproportionate amount of the funds. We support a redistribution of that in order to ensure that as many farm families remain on the land with a reasonable income as is possible.
“In conjunction with the restructured farm payment an extra environmental payment needs to be put in place to help support the family farm in more marginal and disadvantaged areas.”