Farming woes "a serious issue for Leitrim"

Cllr Felim Gurn spoke about how the farming community had to "endure late farm payments, as well as low prices in the market for the produce" at the latest Manorhamilton MD meeting. 

He continued that they are facing "real issues in securing one off housing for their children in the family" and asked that the district write to Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue so that "no more family farms are lost in the county". 

Cllr Gurn said a lot of hard work goes into "creating produce for supermarkets and pubs and restaurants" and added that "if we don't support the small farming community that's out there, there will be more and more people leaving farming."

Regarding the late payments, he said that "somebody else is waiting on that money and that has to be addressed."

Cathaoirleach Cllr Justin Warnock said it was "a serious issue for Leitrim" and that "every bank will look for your payments and you've no hold on what time those payments are made and then you get into debt and then the credit rating is going as well so it's a wider issue."

Cllr Frank Dolan said: "The applications for 2024 are out and the payments for 2023 are delayed."

Cllr Padraig Fallon called the delayed ACRES payments a "fiasco" but said that "one good thing that came from it is that we've now heard the term 'interim payment' for the first time from the department."

He said the payments come at a time of year when "expenditure is going to be at it's highest" so "hopefully this won't happen again."

In relation to one-off housing, Cllr Fallon said that "if any of our own sons or daughters were to inherit the family farm, every effort should be made to ensure that they can live on that farm if they want."

Cathaoirleach Cllr Justin Warnock said he was aware of a number of people who were refused planning and have to drive out "three or four miles to the farm. That's an Eastern European model and doesn't understand the value of the townland and the people there. People in rural areas need to be supported and the next generation too."