Farmers to stage Enough is Enough protest at Tipperary County Council's Clonmel offices

Farmers will protest outside Tipperary County Council’s March meeting in Clonmel next Monday, March 11 as part of the IFA’s Enough is Enough campaign highlighting their frustration at increased regulation, reduced supports and falling incomes.

IFA South Tipperary Chairman Pat Carroll, who will lead the protest outside the Council’s Civic Offices at Mick Delahunty Square, said farmers will be highlighting the lack of certainty they are experiencing around regulations and the impact this has on day-to-day farming.

“It’s a time of year when farmers want to make plans and get on with work on their farms, but this is proving very difficult because of the failure of the Department of Agriculture to give clear guidance,” he said.

Mr Carroll pointed out farmers are still waiting to be given the new rules regarding derogation and they currently don’t know what fertiliser to buy to comply with fertiliser and nutrient management guidelines.

He said farmers are sick of regulations imposed on them at European, national and county council level.

“These are adding extra costs at a time when the cost of doing business has rocketed. There has been no additional support for farmers with our CAP payments being repurposed towards environmental measures rather than food production.

“This is unsustainable, and the clear message from farmers is ‘enough is enough’,” he said.

Mr Carroll said next Monday’s protest will involve farmers from both south and north Tipperary and will include a display of tractors. With the local elections looming, he sees it as an opportunity to meet with county councillors and voice farmers’ concerns.

He said the IFA aimed, through the protest, to highlight difficulties Tipperary farmers were encountering at county council level.

One huge concern they have is objections to planning applications for new farm developments that are being made by individuals and organisations outside the county.

Mr Carroll described this as unfair and an abuse of the planning system.

“Farmers are trying to abide by the rules but there are people 100 miles away objecting to them building sheds. They are objecting across the board because it’s agriculture.”

The protest outside the County Council meeting will follow hot on the heels of other Enough is Enough protests in the county over the past month.

Last week, Tipperary IFA members staged a tractor protest on two flyovers on the M8 motorway south of Urlingford. This protest on Tuesday night, February 27 was organised by Gortnahoe IFA branch and also involved members from surrounding branches.

Farmers drove an estimated 100 tractors in tractor run protests in Cahir and Cashel on February 1.