Retired farmers hit out at IFA
The Farm Retirement Group for Justice directed their anger at the Association which held its AGM on Tuesday.
In a strongly worded letter to be delivered at the AGM, Farm Retirement Group chairman Sean Guerin called on IFA President John Dillon to fulfil his promise to represent all members of IFA.
According to Mr Guerin, IFA now refuses to accept the consequences for its retired members, and other members aged over 65, of the Early Retirement Scheme format which IFA agreed with the Government in 1994.
He also said his Group received no reply from IFA, to letters sent to the farm organisations seeking help in resolving the dilemma facing retired farmers.
The group’s letter sent to the IFA this week accused the farm organisations of campaigning to deprive 10,000 retired farmers and their families of their just rights and entitlements.
It said wrong headed policies sought to increase the wealth of larger farmers at the expense of surplus-to-requirement smaller farmers and their failure left greed merchants with no policy other than to “grab the morsels from the mouths of the vulnerable, often in poor health, elderly retired fellow farmers”.
