Minister called on to introduce new bird flu compensation scheme
Monaghan County Council has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to introduce a new compensation scheme to cover poultry farmers directly and indirectly impacted by bird flu.
Last month France announced that it will provide economic aid through a compensation scheme for poultry farmers impacted by restrictions related to bird flu.
Now Monaghan County Council wants Minister Martin Heydon to introduce a similar scheme in Ireland.
According to the council "Monaghan is the biggest producer of poultry in Ireland with the smallest farm size".
The council has put foward a proposal calling on Minister Heydon, to "roll-out an Economic Compensation Scheme in Ireland, similar to the scheme the French government provides poultry farmers to protect their income when impacted by avian influenza outbreaks.”
Irish exclusion zones
Nigel Renaghan, a poultry farmer based in Monaghan, had initially read about the French scheme in Agriland, and brought it to the attention of Fianna Fáil Senator Robbie Gallagher.
Reneghan told Agriland that he was one of the farmers who have previously been impacted by the exclusion zones.
“We’ve had a closure, an outbreak of avian influenza within a 3km radius of our premises.
“At the time the outbreak was confirmed, we were meant to get birds and they were cancelled.
"We kept houses heated to be prepared for birds coming and they didn’t come, on advice from the Department of Agriculture," he added.
Renaghan said he had a meeting with the department in February, which was also attended by Seamus Dolan from Sicín Co-operative Society Limited and Brendan Soden, chair of the Irish Farmer Association's national poultry committee.
“I put my case forward. I asked for a subsistence allowance because we were out of production and we had no other form of income," he said.
“We have the same staff has to be paid, plus bank payments, and heating the sheds in preparation for birds.
“The outcome was the department stated their position in terms of reducing the spread of aviation influenzas by measures they took – which was the correct course of action."
Reneghan said that the department “understood and had empathy” but “said because of EU state aid rules, they weren’t able to give assistance”.
However, Reneghan said: “They did say if another country in Europe was given assistance to farms influenced by bird flu, it would pave the way for another country to do something.”
EU schemes
Senator Robbie Gallagher told Agriland: “I would’ve been aware of the outbreak in Monaghan a month back, and in Cavan, at the time I would’ve raised it in the Seanad in relation to compensation for affected farmers and for those that were indirectly affected – in the 3km zone.
“We now know that the French have introduced the scheme."
Senator Gallagher said that he, along with Senator Paul Daly, has requested a meeting with Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Tim Dooley tomorrow [March 4].
"At that meeting, I hope to update Dooley in relation to France, and maybe that’s a template we can follow on.”
