'Soft target' Laois farmers escalate Enough is Enough campaign with Portlaoise tractor protest

Tractors are set to descend on Portlaoise again as the Laois branch Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) are set to protest at Laois County Council to highlight their plight to local politicians. 

Laois IFA is set to mount a protest as part of the Enough is Enough Campaign County Hall in Portlaoise on Monday, February 26  at 10 am as county councillors gather for their monthly meeting with council management.

The farmers say the event is the second in a series of local demonstrations that are part of the new national campaign to get a better deal for farmers. John Fitzpatrick is the chairman of Laois IFA said the aim will be to highlight the obstacles faced by farmers due to what they claim are increasing European rules.

"We feel we are being overburdened with rules and regulations," he said.

Similar to the February protest, he said farmers would travel to Portlaoise in their tractors before parking at the Council's HQ and assembling at the building while meeting with councillors going into the meeting.

He said farmers across Laois have been asked to attend. While he could not predict how many would attend he anticipated that about 100 tractors could gather.

"I would expect a good turnout because the frustration is bubbling up with everybody. It is very raw because farmers can see what is going on that we are the soft targets. If food production is taken away from us it has to be produced somewhere," he said.

Mr Fitizpatrick did not envisage much disruption in town to traffic other than on the way to and from the protest.

He has requested that a small number of Laois IFA be allowed to address the councillors but he has yet to receive confirmation that this will be permitted.

IFA President and Laois man Francie Gorman spoke about the campaign in February which was first launched in solidarity with colleagues protesting across Europe. He said Irish farmers feel the same. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

"They are just as frustrated by what is happening as farmers in other countries. They feel they are being regulated out of business by Brussels bureaucrats and Department of Agriculture officials who are far removed from the reality of day-to-day farming. Irish farmers are pro-EU, but there is mounting frustration about the impact of EU policy on European farmers and its implementation here in Ireland. The general feeling amongst farmers across the EU is that ‘enough is enough',” said the Ballinakill man.

Thousands of tractors funnelled through Portlaoise and other towns and cities around Ireland on the night of the first protest.