Leitrim Cllr welcomes Minister’s €5 million step towards Forgotten Farmers’ aid

Funding worth €5 million was announced by the Government as part of Budget 2025 for the ‘forgotten farmers.’

Ballinamore area Cllr Paddy O’Rourke is pleased that Minister Charlie McConalogue has made a start in rectifying the forgotten farmers issue.

“This is an issue which several previous ministers failed to tackle. The term forgotten farmers described many young people, who as a result of their enthusiasm and commitment to farming took steps to establish themselves farming.

“Including obtaining herd or flock numbers early in life, only to discover this would later debar them from being eligible for many benefits available to first time farmers such as entitlements,” Cllr O’Rourke said. 

O’Rourke declared he had lobbied several ministers for agriculture but to no avail until Minister McConalogue addressed the issue.

Leitrim benefits from €900,000 funding pot under Community Climate Action Programme

Leitrim received €300,000 for 12 groups under the CCAP with a further €618,403.67 allocated to 8 community groups across Co. Leitrim and their respective partner organisations in Northern Ireland

He acknowledges that the €5 million provided in Budget 2025 is relatively small given the large number of people affected by the matter.

“However, the important thing is the principle has been established that the forgotten farmers are entitled to be looked after and further monies will have to be provided in future budgets.”

Forgotten farmers refers to young farmers who missed out on Government support programs due to cuts in public spending during the last recession.

These farmers were then unable to secure financial support introduced under the Common Agricultural Policy in 2015, as many of them had been farming for five years or over.

There are an estimated 3,500 forgotten farmers in Ireland.

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