Laois farmers need uncompromising TDs to 'fight their corner' in after General Election

placeholder image — Laois IFA hustings in Portlaoise.

Senior IFA man said Fianna Fáil Fine Gael deal with Greens cost farmers

Laois farmers need uncompromising TDs who will fight for them when elected to the Dáil, a senior IFA representative told the association's General Election hustings in Portlaoise.

Borris-in-Ossory man and the IFA's national livestock chairman Declan Hanrahan was among those present at the meeting in the Killeshin Hotel, on November 20.

He told the meeting that the next Government is likely to be made up of two of the big parties and a third if needed.

“We saw what happened that last time, the Greens were taken on board to build stability. That was understandable if you were sitting in the Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil leadership - you were going to be Taoiseach or Tánaiste.

“But we saw what happened in the programme for Government.

“We ended up with the Green Party putting a lot more forward than the other two parties. This has cost farmers a lot more every day,” he said.

He said the IFA and farmers are not naive to regulation but politicians need to listen.

“We need local politicians who, if they are forming a government, won't shy away from what they are hearing from (farmers) irrespective of who they are or who they represent.

“We need you Laois politicians to go up and fight our corner,” he said.

He gave some instances of what farmers need. He said that farmers are entitled to look for €15,000 under the much-criticised ACRES scheme. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Laois IFA chairman Henry Burns with candidates at the top table.

“We are being asked more and more every year to dig into our own pockets to meet an environmental scheme that comes from Europe that you as legislators have a lot more control of than farmers are led to believe,” he said.

He highlighted two recent breaches of the new Farmer's Charter that was signed off by the Minister for Agriculture shortly after it was agreed. He said the plan to scrap the straw-chopping scheme was announced with no notice. He said this represented “the biggest slap in the face” to farmers because he “threw the Charter out the window” within a week of signing it.

“We don't need to see that again,” he said.

He called for State-aid rules to be changed to allow schemes to be more farmer-friendly. He said this would be achieved by allowing more money to come from the Government purse for schemes rather than Europe as at present.

“What we need to see is a level of respect for farmers and whichever candidate is elected does not compromise your positions,” he said.

The event was attended by General Election candidates Pauline Flanagan, Jason Lynch, Seán Fleming, Maria McCormack, Willie Aird, Austin Stack and Brian Stanley.