SDLP Agricultural spokesperson and Vice-Chair of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development Joe Byrne has expressed his deep frustration at the slowness of aid payments to farmers:
Mr Byrne said:
“I am dismayed that almost seven weeks after the severe spell of weather the Minister for the Agriculture and her Department has failed to pay out a single aid payment to struggling farmers.
“The Minister needs to explain why the Department has not provided support to farmers in a more speedy fashion. I will be putting that to her at a specially convened meeting of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee this week.
“The Minister has presided over a shambolic system of aid payments with suffering farmers having to jump through a number of bureaucratic hoops in the hope they might avail of financial assistance.
“Hardship payments are not going to come through until June and for farmers struggling to pay meal bills at the end of this month this is totally unacceptable.
“I will be requesting that the Minister pay an emergency minimum cash payment of £2000 to farmers who have accessed the Department’s helpline and been verified. The Minister must act urgently to provide relief for the farming community who are still picking up the pieces of the poor weather spell and trying to pay their bills.”
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