“Is this for real,’ TD asks minister over cuts to Slievenamon farmers’ payments

Clonmel TD Seamus Healy slammed the cuts to BISS payments and other penalties facing farmers whose land was burned in the Slievenamon wildfire and asked in exasperation “Is this for real?” when he raised the issue with Minister for Agriculture in the Dáil yesterday (Thursday). wilin the Dáil yesterday

The Independent TD, who leads the left wing Workers & Unemployment Action Group, told the Minister local farmers had “no hand, act or part” in setting or authorising the devastating wildfire that spread through the mountain destroying thousands of acres of land and forestry.

He reminded the Minster that the farmers with their families, friends and the local community came together to fight the fire.

“They stood shoulder to shoulder with the Tipperary Fire and Rescue Service, Civil Defence and others, fighting that fire for days, day and night on end. But for their efforts, the effects of that fire would have been much more devastating.

“Their thanks, Minister, is that there is a proposal to cut their farm payments and to penalise them. Minister, is this for real? These are farmers who put themselves in harm's way to help out. I want you, Minister, to give an assurance to these farmers now that their farm payments will not be reduced, will not be cut and that they will not be penalised in any way.

Minister Martin Heydon responded that he understood the concern among farmers and landowners in the Slievenamon area and he commended the farmers whose swift actions saved their community from so much more further damage.

He explained the government has audit obligations with direct payments that are EU funded, whether it's the BISS payment or forestry payment.

“My department cannot determine the cause of a fire. If somebody deliberately sets fire to their property, that land then doesn't become available to be in receipt of payments for being in agricultural use. But there is the Force Majeure measure,” he pointed out

Minister Heydone said he communicated very clearly back to landowners who contacted him through their local representatives that where the Department receives correspondence from the Gardaí or authorities proving that this fire was started accidentally at the time of the drought, it can have a very significant impact in terms of an appeal for Force Majeure.

“I'm very hopeful that the farmers in question here, the innocent farmers who have been impacted by this, will find resolution through that mechanism.

“But this is EU money, and obviously it's paid for agricultural produce and land. When land is burnt or adjoining land is impacted, this process has to be gone through. But it's not with a view to penalising farmers who have been innocent in this regard,” he added.