An income supplement for low-earning farm families is being "actively considered" and may be included in the December Budget, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs indicated last night.
Mr Ahern had earlier met leaders of the Irish Farmers' Association for more than two hours, and in a joint statement issued afterwards said options for addressing the problem of low incomes would be considered "in the context of preparations for the Budget".
The statement added that the options being looked at included the IFA's proposal for a supplement for low-income farm families. Mr Ahern is expected to meet the farming representatives again next week to review progress.
A Department spokeswoman declined to give further details, but it is understood the income supplement - which would incorporate the existing small farmers' dole - would mean about £50 a week extra for families qualifying under the means test.
The outcome of the meeting was being seen in farming circles last night as presenting a sharp contrast to weekend comments by the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy. Speaking on RTE's Moneybox, Mr McCreevy said there was "a lot of hype" about farmers' short-term problems, and warned that the Government would not be a mechanism for farmers to fall back on.
Meanwhile, the ICMSA last night criticised Mr McCreevy's comments, calling them "ill-considered" and "divisive". The association accused the Minister of harming urban-rural understanding.
Meanwhile, signalling that Mr McCreevy's comments have upset Fianna Fail's rural deputies, the party's Dublin Central TD, Ms Marian McGennis, last night conceded that tomorrow's meeting of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party was likely to see her rural colleagues expressing extreme annoyance with the Minister for Finance.
