Farmers are tired of red tape, new regulations being brought in on a weekly basis and the “hoops they have to jump through to qualify for different schemes”, according to a TD.
The Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South-West, Christopher O’Sullivan, has shared that on a recent visit to Bandon mart and Skibbereen mart in his constituency one farmer told him that “there is no joy in farming anymore”.
During a debate this week on the agriculture industry Deputy O’Sullivan also told the Dáil that farmers were tired of the penalties they get “if an “i” is not dotted or a “t” is not crossed”.
“They are absolutely fed up of the changing goalposts we see happening month on month.
“They are mainly fed up of overregulation and they are fed up of red tape,” he added.
He pointed to ongoing issues over VAT rebates, the dairy beef calf premium and the suckler scheme as just some of examples of the “goalposts changing”.
“We all know about the VAT rebate and how certain items farmers were able to claim that rebate on are no longer applicable.
“Apparently it was a requirement that a farmer would join Bord Bia to qualify for the suckler scheme.
“Reams of paperwork were filled out. However, it transpired a few weeks later that in fact there was not a requirement to join Bord Bia,” the Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South-West said.
Deputy O’Sullivan said that farmers should be let do “what they are good at”.
“We need to do our best to help farmers.
“They are dealing with inspection after inspection and reams of paperwork. We need to make it easier so that farmers can get on with doing what they are good at,” he added.
In response to Deputy O’Sullivan the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, acknowledged that red tape and bureaucracy is a “source of frustration” for farmers which needs to be tackled nationally.
Deputy Heydon added: ” We have a strong reputation at home and abroad for high quality, safe food. We must protect and maintain this reputation.
“Our starting point is not to take for granted the money that farming contributes to our farm families and the rural economies in which they live.”
But he added that he was “acutely conscious” of the need to keep the regulatory framework as simple as possible.
According to Minister Heydon the European Commission’s has proposed a package of simplification proposals to benefit both the farmers and the administrators of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding which he believes will have a “real impact in Ireland”.