Sarah O’Reilly, member of Aontú and Cavan County Council, has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, to implement a fund or stimulus package support farmers immediately.
In a statement on social media, she said: “Every mart in the country is closed. Where is the contingency plan for farmers?”
“This should have been done before any announcement of closures was made. With the closure of all livestock marts nationally, farmers will be required to carry stock for longer, at extra cost.”
Finding an alternative and secure way of selling their animals creates an even larger risk to farmers, she added.
Support sustainable family farms ‘immediately’
Farmers are considered self-employed – I understand a self-employed applicant can only apply for Covid-19 if they have the virus or if they had to close their business down due to the virus.”
“Yet, farmers have to continue to look after their animals and work the land.
“Farmers can’t be thrown under the bus again, can they? The Government needs to act immediately to support our sustainable family farms. Has anyone seen Minister Creed?” the statement concluded.
Image source: Cllr Sarah O’Reilly Facebook
