IFA to Protest at Party ‘Think-ins’ this Week

IFA will be protesting at the Fianna Fáil ‘think-in’ in the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Tipperary tomorrow morning (Mon) starting at 9.30am. We will also be protesting at the Fine Gael ‘think-in’ in Limerick. 

The protests follow this week’s picket of a meeting in Agriculture House in Dublin, which highlighted the deep frustration of farmers in relation to the cut in the nitrates limit and the Minister for Agriculture’s plan to delay payments to farmers in 2023. 

IFA President Tim Cullinan said Minister Charlie McConalogue and the Government are out of touch with farmers and rural Ireland. 

“This Minister is in office. but not in control of his Department. He makes announcements first and then pretends to consult with farmers later. Thursday’s meeting was another example of this. It came a day after his announcement which followed a video call with the relevant EU Commissioner. This was a pathetic attempt on such an important issue. He needs to get on a plane and sit down with the Commissioner,” he said.

“It’s not just the delayed payments and the Nitrates Derogation cut. There are numerous other examples of the Minister’s failure to take farmers’ views on board. These include the design of the latest suckler scheme; issues in the sheep sector; the destruction of tillage through the CAP; the inability to draw down BAR funding; and the forestry debacle. They are all examples of a Minister who doesn’t appear to be in control,” he said.

“Every approach this Government has taken is based on an ideology of reducing production. They keep talking about schemes to support farmers, but most of it goes on compliance costs, with little or no money funding ending up with farm families,” he said. 

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, are sacrificing farmers to stay in power.  We will send a strong message that farmers and rural Ireland have been completely let down by the Government parties. They them need to stand up for farmers and rural Ireland,” he concluded.