Cash payments being deemed ineligible for certain schemes by the Department of Agriculture is “bureaucracy gone mad”, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said.

The comments come following a story reported on by the Irish Farmers Journal, which highlighted the case of a Kerry farmer who was refused a grant for a quad helmet under the National Farm Safety Measure 2023.

Christy O’Neill, a 78-year-old sheep and suckler farmer, was selected for prepayment inspection and deemed ineligible because he had paid for the helmet in cash.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue confirmed the 60% grant would not be paid because cash payments are ineligible for this measure and TAMS.

Cash payments

IFA farm family and social affairs chair Teresa Roche said it shouldn’t be too difficult to change the terms and conditions of these schemes to allow cash payments.

“We are encouraging farmers to have safety equipment that will minimise the risk on their farms.

“For the Department of Agriculture to disallow the grant on the grounds that an electronic payment wasn’t made just doesn’t add up,” she said.

Electronic payments

Teresa Roche added that older farmers, for whom safety equipment such as a quad helmet is very important, is also the group that may not be set up to make electronic payments.

“The minister may be quoting the terms and conditions here, but there has to be a reasonable approach to how schemes are administered.

“I would ask him to re-visit this and allow what would be a practical flexibility under the Farm Safety Measure,” she said.