[Iain MacIlleathain – Presentair] Nise tha an dàil air taic-airgid do chroitearan na Gàidhealtachd san eilean agus an suidheachadh eaconamaigeach a’ fàgail cuid cho ao-dòchasach ‘sa bha iad a-riamh. Sin a chuala coimisean na croitearachd aig coinneamh ann an Inbhir Nis an-diugh. Mar a tha Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn a-nis ag aithris, bha coimiseanairean ag iarraidh air an riaghaltas cabhag a chur air an taic-airgid.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Tha croitearan air feadh na dùthcha air a bhith fulang ri linn dàil anns an taic-airgid a tha iad a’ faighinn. Chan eil mòran chroitearan air airgead CAP fhaighinn ri linn an t-siostaim coimpiutaireachd ùr. Aig coinneamh Coimisean na Croitearachd ann an Inbhir Nis an-diugh, chuala na bha an làthair rabhadh gu robh croitearan nas ao-dòchasaiche ri linn sin agus iomadh rud eile anns an latha a th’ ann.
[Murchadh MacIllFhinnein] Uill tha, mar a tha an eaconamaidh san fharsaingeachd, tha daoine air tòrr obair a chall can anns an North Sea agus na daoine a tha ag obair taobh a’ bhradain. Agus feadhainn de na daoine sin ‘s e croitearan a th’ annta ‘s an airgead a bha tighinn a-steach tron phòcaid aca fhèin, chan eil e ann an-dràsta. Chaidh a’ cheist a thogail gu bheil e duilich dha na croitearan sin. ‘S mathaid gu bheil iad a’ call an dreuchd, nach eil airgead gu bhith aca agus gu bheil mar a thuirt iad, tha perfect storm a’ tighinn air na daoine sin. ‘S tha sinne an dòchas gun èist an Riaghaltas ri sin agus gun cuir iad an t-airgead a-mach, mar a thuirt sinn gu sgiobalta.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Ann an seachdain san do sgaoil an Riaghaltas fios mu àrdachadh air taic-airgid thaighean-croite, tha e follaiseach g’ eil draghan ann. As dèidh dha thighinn am follais g’ eil an Riaghaltas gu bhith measadh chroitean son an taic thaigheadais, thuirt an coimisean gun cùm iad sùil gheur air na riaghailtean.
[Murchadh MacIllFhinnein] ‘S e naidheachd mhath a bh’ ann gu bheil suas ri £40,000 gu bhith ann airson grant an-diugh. Agus mar a chuala sinn cuideachd tha iad a’ coimhead a-steach airson nan loans a bh’ ann sa bhliadhna a chaidh seachad. Chan eil naidheachdan ann mu dheidhinn sin fhathast, tha iad a’ coimhead ris. Ach chan eil fios againne fhathast ciamar a tha sgeama ùr sin dol a dh’ obrachadh. Tha sinn an dòchas gum bi e air a leudachadh gu math, gum bi e gu math farsaing airson a h-uile duine a tha ag iarraidh tighinn a-steach ann ach feumaidh sinn faicinn ciamar a tha e dol a dh’ obair ‘s chan eil fios againn fhathast ciamar a tha sin dol a dh’ obair.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Tha e follaiseach gu bheil gu leòr air aire chroitearan agus a’ choimisein agus bithear an dòchas gum bi cabhag air an Riaghaltas na riaghailtean a mhìneachadh agus nach mair an dàil ann an taic-airgid do chroitearan cus ro fhada. Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn, BBC An Là.
[Iain MacLean – Presenter] Now then, a delay in payment for crofters in the Highlands and Islands and the current economic state has left some more deflated than ever. That’s what the Crofting Commission heard at a meeting in Inverness today. As Coinneach Smith reports, commissioners asked the Government to hurry the payments.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] Crofters across the country have suffered due to a delay in the payments they receive. Many crofters have not received CAP funding, due to a new computer system. At the Crofting Commission meeting in Inverness today, those present were warned that crofters were feeling deflated as a result, and other present day factors.
[Murdo MacLennan – Reporter] Well generally with the way the economy is, people have lost work in the North Sea and in salmon farming for example. And some of these people are crofters and they money they would be putting in themselves, out of their own pocket, is no longer available to them. The point was raised that it’s difficult for these crofters. They’ve perhaps lost their jobs, they haven’t got an income and as they said, it’s a perfect storm. We hope the Government will listen to these concerns and that they will release the payments, which we firmly stated.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] In the same week the Government released a statement about the rise in croft house grants, it’s clear that there are concerns. After it emerged that the Government will carry out means testing for housing support, the commission said they would keep a close eye on the regulations.
[Murdo MacLennan] It’s good news that a grant of up to £40,000 is going to be available now. And as we also heard they are going to be reviewing the loans received in the last year. There’s no news yet about that though, they are looking into it. But we don’t know yet how this new scheme will work. We hope that it is much improved, that it’s fair to everyone who wants to apply but we need to see first how it works, we don’t know yet how it will work.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] It’s clear that crofters and the commission have a lot of their minds and it’s hoped that the Government will hastily define the regulations and that the delay in crofter’s payments will not last too much longer. Coinneach Smith, BBC An Là.
[Iain MacIlleathain – Presentair] Nise tha an dàil air taic-airgid do chroitearan na Gàidhealtachd san eilean agus an suidheachadh eaconamaigeach a’ fàgail cuid cho ao-dòchasach ‘sa bha iad a-riamh. Sin a chuala coimisean na croitearachd aig coinneamh ann an Inbhir Nis an-diugh. Mar a tha Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn a-nis ag aithris, bha coimiseanairean ag iarraidh air an riaghaltas cabhag a chur air an taic-airgid.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Tha croitearan air feadh na dùthcha air a bhith fulang ri linn dàil anns an taic-airgid a tha iad a’ faighinn. Chan eil mòran chroitearan air airgead CAP fhaighinn ri linn an t-siostaim coimpiutaireachd ùr. Aig coinneamh Coimisean na Croitearachd ann an Inbhir Nis an-diugh, chuala na bha an làthair rabhadh gu robh croitearan nas ao-dòchasaiche ri linn sin agus iomadh rud eile anns an latha a th’ ann.
[Murchadh MacIllFhinnein] Uill tha, mar a tha an eaconamaidh san fharsaingeachd, tha daoine air tòrr obair a chall can anns an North Sea agus na daoine a tha ag obair taobh a’ bhradain. Agus feadhainn de na daoine sin ‘s e croitearan a th’ annta ‘s an airgead a bha tighinn a-steach tron phòcaid aca fhèin, chan eil e ann an-dràsta. Chaidh a’ cheist a thogail gu bheil e duilich dha na croitearan sin. ‘S mathaid gu bheil iad a’ call an dreuchd, nach eil airgead gu bhith aca agus gu bheil mar a thuirt iad, tha perfect storm a’ tighinn air na daoine sin. ‘S tha sinne an dòchas gun èist an Riaghaltas ri sin agus gun cuir iad an t-airgead a-mach, mar a thuirt sinn gu sgiobalta.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Ann an seachdain san do sgaoil an Riaghaltas fios mu àrdachadh air taic-airgid thaighean-croite, tha e follaiseach g’ eil draghan ann. As dèidh dha thighinn am follais g’ eil an Riaghaltas gu bhith measadh chroitean son an taic thaigheadais, thuirt an coimisean gun cùm iad sùil gheur air na riaghailtean.
[Murchadh MacIllFhinnein] ‘S e naidheachd mhath a bh’ ann gu bheil suas ri £40,000 gu bhith ann airson grant an-diugh. Agus mar a chuala sinn cuideachd tha iad a’ coimhead a-steach airson nan loans a bh’ ann sa bhliadhna a chaidh seachad. Chan eil naidheachdan ann mu dheidhinn sin fhathast, tha iad a’ coimhead ris. Ach chan eil fios againne fhathast ciamar a tha sgeama ùr sin dol a dh’ obrachadh. Tha sinn an dòchas gum bi e air a leudachadh gu math, gum bi e gu math farsaing airson a h-uile duine a tha ag iarraidh tighinn a-steach ann ach feumaidh sinn faicinn ciamar a tha e dol a dh’ obair ‘s chan eil fios againn fhathast ciamar a tha sin dol a dh’ obair.
[Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn – Neach-aithris] Tha e follaiseach gu bheil gu leòr air aire chroitearan agus a’ choimisein agus bithear an dòchas gum bi cabhag air an Riaghaltas na riaghailtean a mhìneachadh agus nach mair an dàil ann an taic-airgid do chroitearan cus ro fhada. Coinneach Mac a’ Ghobhainn, BBC An Là.
[Iain MacLean – Presenter] Now then, a delay in payment for crofters in the Highlands and Islands and the current economic state has left some more deflated than ever. That’s what the Crofting Commission heard at a meeting in Inverness today. As Coinneach Smith reports, commissioners asked the Government to hurry the payments.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] Crofters across the country have suffered due to a delay in the payments they receive. Many crofters have not received CAP funding, due to a new computer system. At the Crofting Commission meeting in Inverness today, those present were warned that crofters were feeling deflated as a result, and other present day factors.
[Murdo MacLennan – Reporter] Well generally with the way the economy is, people have lost work in the North Sea and in salmon farming for example. And some of these people are crofters and they money they would be putting in themselves, out of their own pocket, is no longer available to them. The point was raised that it’s difficult for these crofters. They’ve perhaps lost their jobs, they haven’t got an income and as they said, it’s a perfect storm. We hope the Government will listen to these concerns and that they will release the payments, which we firmly stated.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] In the same week the Government released a statement about the rise in croft house grants, it’s clear that there are concerns. After it emerged that the Government will carry out means testing for housing support, the commission said they would keep a close eye on the regulations.
[Murdo MacLennan] It’s good news that a grant of up to £40,000 is going to be available now. And as we also heard they are going to be reviewing the loans received in the last year. There’s no news yet about that though, they are looking into it. But we don’t know yet how this new scheme will work. We hope that it is much improved, that it’s fair to everyone who wants to apply but we need to see first how it works, we don’t know yet how it will work.
[Coinneach Smith – Reporter] It’s clear that crofters and the commission have a lot of their minds and it’s hoped that the Government will hastily define the regulations and that the delay in crofter’s payments will not last too much longer. Coinneach Smith, BBC An Là.