25 OCTOBER 2016

ICSA sheep chairman John Brooks has said that bureaucracy around the new sheep scheme must be kept to an absolute minimum to attract maximum uptake. Mr Brooks made his comments following an ICSA meeting with Department of Agriculture officials in Dublin this morning.

“ICSA is focusing on limiting the amount of unnecessary red tape surrounding the scheme, particularly in Category A where ICSA believes the options are too limiting particularly for hill farmers. In addition, going forward with the scheme we will be lobbying for a flexible approach to be taken, particularly with regard to new entrants and young farmers”.

Mr Brooks said that the ICSA delegation pressed upon the department the need to ensure that payments due in the scheme would be made in full and on time in the 2017 calendar year.

ENDS