15th September 2014

ICSA suckler chairman Dermot Kelleher has reacted angrily to reports that former local councillors have received so-called ‘parachute payments’ amounting to more than €11.6m since the local elections in May.
“Farmers are reading this in the papers today while they watch their own incomes being slashed. The losses they are making will force many to leave suckling, but they have no ‘soft landing’ fund when business doesn’t go their way.”

“Farmers in this country, mainly those in areas of marginal land, have already been fined almost €10m due to LPIS overclaims and are being threatened with further penalties which may be a multiple of the original fine,” continued Mr. Kelleher. “The money being paid out to these councillors, who would also have received generous expenses during their terms of office, and most of whom have jobs anyway, could certainly be put to better use.”