Farmers with minor AEOS penalties have been “left in limbo” for weeks and are being “continuously fobbed off” with excuses as to why they are not receiving their money.
This is the view of Fine Gael Galway East TD Paul Connaughton who said farmers are being “left without payments during one of the most difficult springs in recent memory”.
The TD has raised the issue with Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and in the Dáil and is calling for action on the issue.
According to Dep Connaughton farmers are “continually being told “their payments are held up because of a new computer system that had to be installed.
“Many received assurances that payments would start in March and now we are into May,” he said. “This delay is against the backdrop of farmers having to keep livestock housed due to unseasonable weather, leading to high unplanned feed costs.”
Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesperson and Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív is also calling on Minister Coveney to take a “direct role” in ensuring that payments are made for outstanding grants like the AEOS and REPS 4. He said: “Many of these payments have been cleared but there have been delays in farmers actually receiving the cash
