The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) convened an urgent National Council meeting yesterday to address the ongoing fallout from the letters received by farmers regarding the Agri-Environmental Scheme (ACRES).
The letters, sent by the Department of Agriculture, have demanded the repayment of some or all of the €5,000 interim payment made earlier this year from some participating farmers.
The delegates were unanimously irate over the Department’s demands, leading to a motion calling on the Minister for Agriculture and the Department to immediately cease all repayment requests.
The National Council outlined several critical failures by the Department that have led to this extreme call.
The INHFA National Council argues that these failures have placed farmers in a precarious financial position, threatening the competitiveness and viability of their operations.
Brendan Joyce of the INHFA has been telling Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley more about the present fiasco for many of the organisation’s members:
