Irish Farmers Association members stage Enough is Enough protest outside Tipperary council offices

More than 20 farmers from around the county protested outside Tipperary County Council's Civic Offices in Clonmel this morning as part of the IFA's Enough is Enough campaign highlighting their frustration and anger over increased regulation, reduced supports and falling incomes.

The protest took place at the entrance to the Civic Offices at Mick Delahunty Square in Clonmel just before the County Council's March meeting that kicked off at 11am. 

South Tipperary IFA Chairman Pat Carroll and North Tipperary IFA Chairman Baden Powell led the demonstration and afterwards jointly addressed the Council meeting about Tipperary farmer's concerns and frustration about the increasing burden of bureaucracy and regulations at local, national and EU level which along with increasing production costs are making it more and more difficult for farmers to continue in business.

Several councillors met and spoke to the protesters outside the council offices and the IFA chairmens' presentations to the meeting were greeted with overwhelming support from councillors assembled in the council chamber.

A motion tabled by Cashel Fine Gael Cllr Declan Burgess in support of Tipperary's farmers and the IFA's Enough is Enough campaign was unanimously supported by the full council. 

The motion's wording is as follows: “Tipperary County Council supports the IFA’s ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign. The Council recognises the significant contribution that farming, and the Agri-sector makes to the Irish economy. The Council acknowledges the income challenges on Irish farmers arising from the significant increases in the cost of doing business, regulatory costs, and cuts in the basic income support for farmers.

“The Council calls on the Government to introduce no further regulations on farmers or any measures that may increase costs on farms without the full negotiation and agreement with the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

“The Council calls on the European Union and the Irish Government to provide additional stand-alone funding, separate to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), to support farmers to undertake climate and biodiversity measures”.

The Council also unanimously agreed to include Cllr Jim Ryan's addition to the motion calling on the Minister for Finance to restore the VAT refund to unregistered farmers.  

Read a more detailed report on the farmers's protest in this week's edition of The Nationalist on sale in local shops on Wednesday.