EU Committee to lobby on behalf of Keelderry farmers
Galway Bay fm newsroom - The EU Parliament's Petitions Committee will ask the Minister for Agriculture to arrange an independent investigation of lands at Keelderry.
A petition was presented by the South Galway farming community in Brussels this morning, regarding the Single Farm Payment.
It's after farmers in the commonage of Keelderry, on the slopes of Slieve Aughty, had their Single Farm Payment cut or withdrawn.
North and West MEP Jim Higgins expressed concerns about the appeals process, telling the committee that an appeal can take up to five years.
A high-level committee of MEPs will now write to Simon Coveney requesting an independent investigation of the lands at Keelderry, and the petiton will be left open for further discussion.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, barrister Theresa Murphy says the Department of Agriculture is putting a lot of pressure on Keelderry shareholders.
Committee chairperson Ermenia Mizzoni says the petition will also be referred to the Agriculture committee of the European parliament.