Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice has said that the Government are biased towards big farmers in Ireland.
On Tuesday, the local deputy raised a number of “ongoing problems” in the agri-sector in this country with the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions.
Speaking afterwards, he said: “I raised the problems associated with the Glas Scheme and the Beef Genomics Scheme and the problems facing the dairy and beef sectors and the plight of young farmers.
“The Taoiseach acknowledged that there were problems facing the sector but I am not confident that the specific problems that I raised will be adequately addressed by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney. “The trend towards the much bigger farms in Europe is going on in Ireland too and we must take measures to combat the exclusion of the small family farm from the mainstream of agriculture.”
Deputy Fitzmaurice said that he hoped that a package for small farmers would be unveiled in Budget 2016 next Tuesday, October 13.
