A DECISION on how much money Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith is likely to give to the ailing sheep sector is expected early in 2009.
He gave this commitment to a round-table conference with farm organisations on Tuesday last to discuss division of €23 million in unused funds he secured last December in farm negotiations.
Irish Farmers' Association president Pádraig Walshe said after the meeting he made a strong case for a sheep maintenance payment for the sector. Mr Smith, he said, gave a commitment that the sector was a priority for unused funds secured during the CAP health check negotiations last month.
He said the Minister was very clear on the urgent need for additional funds to be directed to the sector, and said he was very anxious to finalise a complete package for sheep by early 2009.
The Minister had told them he would be making a decision regarding use of €9 million in the national reserve by the end of January/early February.
He said afterwards that he would announce details on spending of €23 million in unused CAP funds. An extra €17 million in modulation funds will become available in the 2009/2010 financial year for allocation.
IFA's national sheep chairman Henry Burns told the Minister sheep farmers were under extreme pressure and the sector was in urgent need of a positive announcement on new funding.
Mr Burns said that ewe numbers have fallen from 4.75 million to 2.7 million, a reduction of 44 per cent. He said successive studies, including the Malone Report and the Aylward Report, had made it clear the sector must be a priority for extra assistance.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association president Malcolm Thompson demanded that all unused single farm payment funds be directed towards the ailing sheep sector.
"There is no doubt that sheep farming is on its last legs. Financial backing is necessary if there is to be any hope of keeping this sector viable," he said. "While there is up to €23 million available in unused funds, this will not go far enough to meet the challenges that this sector is facing."
ICSA sheep chairman Mervyn Sunderland said it was vital that any scheme to aid the sheep sector did not involve overly complicated form filling and red tape.