HEATED exchanges were passed between councillors in the chamber on Tuesday night as the issue of cuts to the Reinstatement of the Area of Natural Constraint (ANC) Scheme were debated.

The popular support scheme provides payments to farmers on disadvantaged land.

Last year its budget was £20 million, but former Agricultural minister Michelle McIlveene announced at the end of December that this would be cut to around £8 million in 2017 and removed entirely in 2018.

The money compensates farmers for additional costs and loss of income due to constraints on production in disadvantaged areas like mountain farms and is part-funded by Europe.

A motion to overturn Ms. McIlveene’s decision, brought forward by Sinn Fein councillor Sheamus Greene on Tuesday night, sparked controversy for various reasons.

Criticising the former minister for launching an attack on some of the area’s most vulnerable farmers Mr. Greene said he was “disgusted” that the plans had “ever seen the light of day.

“This funding is the lifeblood for many farmers,” he told his colleagues.

He contrasted the drastic cuts to the scheme in Northern Ireland with the significant increase of the same scheme in the South.

“We can all see which jurisdiction appreciates their farmers the most,” he said, adding that Ms. McIlveene’s decision could be at best described as “an act of vandalism”.

“We need to stand up for this rural community -- this is an attack even before Brexit comes into place,” he added, “We need to defend the rural way of life or farming will become a distant memory.”

His colleague Anthony Feely was the first to support the motion.

“As a farmer myself I know the impact this will have on my own family,” he said.

Vice-chair, Bert Wilson added that the impact locally would be widespread.

“We could see farmers go out of business,” he warned.

As the debate continued, chairperson, Mary Garrity, prompted by Chief Executive, Brendan Hegarty, warned councillors that if they were in receipt of the ANC funding scheme, they needed to declare an interest and leave the room.

Mr. Greene, who had tabled the motion, was incensed. “This to me is a complete nonsense! I’m here for the farmers,” he said, “I’m not leaving this room. I’m here as a representative for local farmers -- I’m not here looking for money for myself. People have been coming to me about this on a daily basis.

“I will not be withdrawing from it, I am not going to remove myself from this room.”

Mr. Hegarty advised Mr. Greene that the onus was on each individual member to declare an interest and decide what to do.

But Mr. Greene took issue with the advice.

“That wasn’t what was put forward just now,” he argued, “If I had wanted to declare an interest, I would have. We were demanded to leave. There are hundreds of other things people in this chamber are involved in and do we have to declare an interest for all of them? It is completely ridiculous.”

Mr. Hegarty reiterated his advice.

“If you are in receipt of a payment, you need to consider the conflict of interest and what action you are going to take, that is the point being made here,” he said.

“I am declaring I do receive it and I’m going on with the motion. I am not being railroaded out of this room by anybody,” he warned.

In an attempt to ease the situation, Mrs. Garrity asked Mr. Greene if he was “happy to proceed” with the motion.

“With pride,” he answered.

The motion received support from independent councillor, Josephine Deehan.

“I have the greatest respect for farmers whose income, I believe, is being eroded. They are having to pay tough prices for food stuffs and getting lower and lower prices for their produce.

“Those people who farm these areas are now again facing real threat to their existence. It is very short-sighted to bring forward these cuts.

“And I think it is very regrettable that as we sit here in this chamber tonight we do not have a functioning Assembly in place to meet the needs of this community.”

As the DUP’s David Mahon, the SDLP’s John Coyle and a number of other councillors declared an interest in the matter and left the room, the SDLP’s Rosemary Shields said she believed the impact of the ANC cuts would affect everyone in the area.

“These farmers put money back into their own area,” she said, “It is an equalising payment. So I think it is not just the farmers who should have to declare an interest.”

In summing up, Mr. Greene said he was disappointed that individuals had made the decision declare and interest and leave.

“I think everybody in this room has family working and farming in the community so if we had to declare and interest we would all have to leave.

“This is very disappointing and I will be following it up.”

But the controversy wasn’t over.

As Mr. Greene drew the motion to a close, the DUP’s Errol Thopmson indicated he wanted to speak.

“My party is happy to support this motion and the wording of it is fine, but the way it has been discussed by some members, the language use, has been quite abusive to my party. If you are looking for support councillor Greene you are going the wrong way about it!”

Before the heated debate escalated further, Mrs. Garrity asked all members to vote on the motion.

The motion gained support of all remaining members there.