Tags: Brendan Smith, Cork, Ireland, Michael Creed, politics, REPS

Michael Creed

Fine Gael Agriculture Spokesperson, Michael Creed has called on the Agriculture Minister to maintain REPS participation levels at 62,000 so that REPS2 and 3 farmers have a chance to transfer into REPS4.

The Cork TD said, “There is no point celebrating the record numbers in REPS when they are only going to decrease on a daily basis.

“The Minister should be looking at maintaining numbers at 62,000 to enable REPS2 and 3 farmers to transfer into REPS4.

“If he commits to doing this he may salvage something from this indefensible cut. While he has said existing REPS participants will remain in the scheme until their contracts expire, he has not said if he will ensure the number of participants remains at the current level.”

He added, “It remains to be seen what alternative agri-environment scheme the Minister may come up with but it is very hard to have confidence that it will replace REPS for those whose contracts are about to expire or those who had intended joining REPS4 as new entrants.

“Where the Disadvantaged Areas payments are concerned the message to the Minister has to be ‘hands off’.

“These payments were already slashed by €34 million in the October Budget. Minister Smith needs to start standing up for farmers instead of constantly pushing them into the path of the Government’s slash hook.”