ICSA: ‘Unacceptable TB payment delays must never be repeated'
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association's (ICSA) animal health and welfare chair, John Barron has welcomed the issuing of top-up income supplement payments to farmers affected by TB who were paid at the wrong rate.
However, according to Barron, the 'unacceptable' delays in the payments must 'never be repeated'.
Barron said: 'These payments are long overdue, and it is only right that farmers who were short-changed due to administrative and IT delays are finally receiving the money they are owed.
'This should not have taken so long. These are farmers who have been under serious financial strain due to TB restrictions, and they have been waiting more than two years to be paid at the correct rate.'
The top-up payments relate to income supplement claims made between February 1, 2023 and the the end of February 2024.
According to the ICSA, during this time payments continued to be issued at 'outdated rates', despite higher rates having been agreed at the TB forum.
The enhanced rates are currently being paid only to farmers who have entered a breakdown since February 29, 2024.
The ICSA claims the new rates. agreed over two years ago, introduced increases across all categories of income supplements:
Dairy: From €55/month to €100 for the first five months post-calving, and €65 for months 6-10.
Suckler: From €38.09/month to €52 for the first seven months post-calving, and €40 for months 8-12.
Other stock: From €25.39/month to €30.
ICSA
Barron said: 'While it is positive to see this issue finally being resolved, the delay highlights a worrying lack of urgency in delivering on commitments made to farmers.
'In addition, with inflation continuing to erode the real value of these payments, we believe the time has come for a further full review of these rates.'
Balancing payments are now being issued to affected farmers, and details can be found in the Financial Self-Service (FSS) portal on AgFood under the title 'Financial Working Group Income Supplement Balancing Payment'.
The ICSA claims the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has indicated that it will take a number of weeks to process all payments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Agriland
3 days ago
- Agriland
Minister urged to retain tax relief for farmers
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) is urging the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe to retain key tax relief for farmers ahead of Budget 2026. ICSA Rural Development chair Edmond Phelan has said that the retention of key tax reliefs for farmers is absolutely vital, particularly in the context of generational renewal and the need to provide greater certainty for family farms. 'These reliefs – such as the Young Trained Farmer stamp duty exemption, Agricultural Relief from Capital Acquisitions Tax [CAT], and Farm Consolidation Relief – are not just technical tax measures,' Phelan said. 'They are essential supports that underpin efforts to improve farm viability, encourage land mobility, and, crucially, to support young people to enter and remain in farming. 'There should be no disincentives to farm transfers,' he said. The ICSA was responding to comments made by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, who confirmed in response to a parliamentary question, reported by Agriland, that several farm-related tax relief schemes are currently under review ahead of Budget 2026. According to Minister Donohoe, a number of tax reliefs are due to 'sunset' at the end of 2025. The first scheme under review is the Accelerated Capital Allowance (income tax) for slurry storage. The second scheme the minister mentioned was the Young Trained Farmer (stamp duty) Relief. The Farm Consolidation (stamp duty) Relief is also under review and the minister also mentioned Revised CAT Agricultural Relief. Phelan said the looming expiry or 'sunset' of these schemes at the end of 2025 must be addressed with clarity and urgency. 'ICSA is calling on the Minister for Finance to commit to the long-term retention of these reliefs in Budget 2026,' the ICSA chair continued. 'Farmers need certainty to plan for succession, make investment decisions, and meet environmental obligations. The absence of a firm commitment to extend these measures risks creating unnecessary hesitation at a time when we should be incentivising action. 'The other targeted tax reliefs mentioned by Minister Donohoe – Farm Restructuring (CGT) Relief and the Accelerated Capital Allowance for slurry storage – are equally vital for improving both environmental performance and economic sustainability on farms,' he added. The farm group has said that all of these measures align with national goals around climate action, biodiversity, and generational renewal. It added that removing or weakening them would send the wrong message at a time when the sector is being asked to do more than ever.
Irish Examiner
27-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Wide price variation revealed in factory returns for R-grade cattle
Positive vibes from the processing industry on the trade forward for beef for the year are being measured against the resistance of the factories on improved prices being paid to the producers. Finishers were given a very positive outlook on prices for the months ahead at some recent information gatherings, sufficient to underpin confidence to the end of 2025. The supply of cattle to the factories has continued to tighten, with the processors adjusting operations to the lower kill by reducing the number of days per week their slaughtering line operates. Overall, the trade remains firm at last week's prices in general, while a slight improvement in prices is evident at the factories which were paying at the lower end of the scale. The base for steers remains on 730–740c/kg, with up to 750c/kg being reported for some deals with the factories, while heifers are working off a base of 760c/kg and up to 770c/kg, and the cows remain a firm trade at 720–730c/kg going for R-grade this week. However, prices compiled by the Department of Agriculture from factory returns show that the prices paid for similar-grade animals vary by close to 40c/kg in the same week. The factory returns for the second week in May showed that while the overall average paid for R-3 steers across all of the export factories was 794c/kg, the average price paid at individual factories ranged from a leading 809c/kg to 770c/kg — equating to a difference of more than €140/head on a typical steer. The average paid for similar grade heifers nationally was 790c/kg. Prices paid by the individual factories ranged from an average of 608c/kg to 769c/kg. These prices are inclusive of bonus payments and penalties applied to the animals at the individual factory, and there is no breakdown to show if it includes over-age animals or if the animals were purchased on flat pricing rather than on the grid. These factors can significantly change the actual average price/kg shown on the analysis, but the clear message is that significant price differences may exist between individual factories for the same type of animal. The supply last week was 28,855 head, almost similar to the previous week, while running 2,500 head lower than the same week last year. The intake included 11,249 steers, 8,945 heifers, 6,059 cows, and 2,009 young bulls. The steer intake was similar to the corresponding week last year, while each of the other categories was down on the 2024 supply. Read More Behind the closed door at the TB summit
Agriland
23-05-2025
- Agriland
Sheep farmers dealt a ‘crippling blow'
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) has said that sheep farmers have been dealt 'another crippling blow' this week as factories have cut prices for hoggets, 'slashing a further 50c/kg off the price'. ICSA Sheep chair Willie Shaw said: 'This equates to a drop of over €11 on a typical 23kg carcass – but that is not the full story. 'Compared to this time last year, prices are down by €2/kg and the carcass weight paid has dropped from 24.5kg to 23kg. 'That means farmers are currently receiving just €172.50/hd (23kg x €7.50/kg), compared to €232.75 (24.5kg x €9.50/kg) last year, which is a staggering difference of over €60/hd. 'This kind of wipe-out is nothing short of disastrous. Sheep farmers cannot continue to absorb these kinds of losses while input costs have soared across the board,' he added. The farm organisation has stressed that it is no longer a case of tightening the belt for farmers, but at this stage is a case of not being able to survive, claiming that there is simply no margin left. Shaw said what is making matters worse is that processors are continuing to ramp up imports, compounding the pressure on local producers. 'Based on CSO [Central Statistics Office] figures for January and February of this year, we are looking at total imports rising to over 10,200t for 2025 – that is 600t more than last year, with the bulk of that increase coming in carcass form,' the Sheep chair said. 'It's clear that processors are using carcass imports to make up for shortfalls caused by restrictions on live imports, and in doing so, are keeping a lid on prices and undermining Irish suppliers. 'We need full transparency across the food chain now more than ever, as it is the only way to give farmers a fighting chance. 'We must ensure that the Agri-Food Regulator has all the necessary powers to compel cooperation from processors and retailers and to strip away the smoke and mirrors that allow the big players to hide their margins and spin their import strategies,' he stressed. The ICSA has said that the lack of both price certainty and transparency is 'killing confidence' in the sector. It added that the sheep sector is already struggling to attract a younger generation, and ongoing unfairness in pricing is 'just another nail in the coffin'.
