Fuel Support Scheme for Limerick farmers falls ‘flat’ amid current drought on farms and in bank accounts – ICMSA
‘With the average farmer set to receive €600, it will be ‘eaten up’ straight away’ - ICMSA president Denis Drennan
ICMSA president Denis Drennan has said that “regrettably” the Fuel Support Scheme has failed to recognise the significantly higher levels of fuel usage on farms during the March to July period.
“The case ICMSA is making is that the fuel scheme is ‘flat’ and based on 5/12ths of total fuel usage for the year.
"But the reality is that diesel usage on farms is much higher during the March to July period and that should have been ‘weighted’ along the lines of, say, 8/12ths of the total annual usage to reflect the much heavier outlay usage and much heavier financial outlay during this period,” said Mr Drennan.
Fuel usage is always considerably higher from March to July with silage, slurry spreading and other essential farm activities, he said.
“We just think that this hasn’t been recognised and that, essentially, lower fuel usage during the ‘shoulder’ months of the year is artificially pushing down the average figure for the March to July period.”
Calling for a review of the decision, Mr Drennan also cautioned that the €58m remaining from the scheme must be retained within the farming sector and paid to farmers.
“With the average farmer set to receive €600, it will be ‘eaten up’ straight away. It is akin to a sprinkle of rain falling on my fields at the moment – it won’t make any substantial difference either way. There’s a drought on farms, and there’s a drought in farmers’ bank accounts,” he said.
“For all farmers fuel costs are a massive issue and this support – appreciated as it is – is only putting a plaster on a wound that requires major surgery.
“We desperately need meaningful measures that address the underlying costs of farming and ensure farm families can continue to operate viable businesses into the future”, said Mr Drennan, who noted that “in fairness to the department” while the payment itself was “laughably inadequate set against the increased costs of fuel farmers incurred”, the scheme design was a model of straightforward clarity, saying they should emulate that model where possible across schemes.