The Government is prepared to appoint 75 people to deal with the spread of bovine TB by wildlife, it emerged yesterday.
Mr Tom Parlon, representing the Irish Farmers' Association, said the farm organisations were using the talks on a new national agreement to find a solution to the bovine TB problem.
"The Government has at last accepted the role of wildlife in the spread of bovine TB and will appoint people for the first time to help control wildlife," he said. He said this was a key issue for the IFA, along with the levels of compensation for farmers. "We have one case of a progressive farmer who lost £50,000 when his animals failed the test."
Mr Parlon said £3.7 billion would be spent on the agricultural sector over the period of the National Plan, and he would ensure it was properly spent.
The IFA had received a commitment that the Exchequer would pay 50 per cent of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme and early retirement schemes which had been 75 per cent funded by the EU until this year.
They had also sought assurances on headage payments to farmers in disadvantaged areas and that EU changes which meant payments to farmers were based on farm size rather than on animal numbers would not disadvantage farmers who depended so much on these payments.
He said improvements had been promised on farm investment schemes; installation aid for young farmers had been increased to £7,500; and young farmers would not now pay any stamp duty on farm transfers.
In addition, he said, the farm organisations hoped to get a protocol covering prompt payment from the Department after June 30th next.
The IFA wanted a change in rules under which farmers were penalised heavily for even minor mistakes in applications to the Department, sometimes resulting in being debarred from any grants.
The president of Macra na Feirme, Mr T.J. Maher, said he was confident the Government would increase farm installation aid; give 100 per cent tax relief on milk quota purchase; and abolish stamp duty on farm transfers for young trainee farmers.
"The key objectives of this agreement are to develop and improve the age profile in Irish agriculture and to improve the income prospects for Irish farmers," he said.