Moves afoot to clear ANC logjam

MEMBERS of the INHFA (Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association) are hoping that a meeting with senior Dept. of Agriculture officials in Dublin this week will free up the payments logjam that has affected over 10,000 farmers nationwide.

Many farmers involved in commonages across Connemara are still awaiting their ANC (Areas of Natural Constraint) payments and this could in turn hold up their Basic Payments Scheme (old Single Payment) money.

A particular issue that has arisen this year relates to commonages where a small problem with one of the shareholders has ended up stalling the payments for all other involved in the same plot of ground.

Last week, INHFA representatives from different parts of the country protested outside the Dept. of Agriculture offices in Portlaoise over the payment hold-ups and met with officials there.

INHFA Spokesperson, Brendan Joyce, said that there was an inherent unfairness in the system if a problem with one shareholder in a commonages could hold up the payments to all the others.

He also said that ‘year-in, year-out’, payments were also being held up by stocking rate calculations that were often largely determined by environmental considerations.

“In fariness, the Department were aware of the difficulties being experienced by farmers who year after year have to supply the stocking data to the Dept. This whole process has to be streamlined to ensure that all farmers get their ANC money by the end of September,” said Brendan Joyce.

INHFA National Chair Brendan O Malley said that the hold-up in payments always seemed to affect the farmers most reliant on the scheme. “While the commitment given to have payments cleared by Christmas is positive, we still have to improve on this,” he said.

Mr. O’Malley said at this week’s meeting with Dept. officials, they would be focusing on how in future years ‘we can get payments cleared to all farmers by the end of September and ensure farmers on commonages are treated as individuals and not a collective’.

He said that the INHFA would also be striving to make progress on GLAS, the Beef Data and Genomics Scheme and land eligibility – the latter issue still a matter of major concern to many farmers and especially those on designated lands.

Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice said that the same problems as regards payments delays were recurring again this year with many farmers being told that their maps have to be digitised, at a time when money is badly needed to pay contractors and merchants.

“No engagement took place during the year when a lot of this could have been sorted out. The Dept. of Agriculture need to put a framework in place which deals with these problems urgently and get the money out to farmers as soon as possible,” said Deputy Fitzmaurice.