Local authorities worst polluters, claims farmer

Every farmer is entitled to expect common courtesy and fair play, the president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association told his annual general meeting in Limerick last night when he hit out at those who unfairly criticise the sector.

Pat O’Rourke said he does not want to hear ”hypocrites” on the national airwaves accusing farmers of polluting streams and rivers when those people themselves live in newly-built houses in newly-expanded villages, where untreated and raw sewage is pumped or allowed to flow into adjacent streams and rivers by the county council.

“That’s the reason why I have to bite my tongue when I hear some man or woman castigating farmers as the country’s worst polluters,” he said.

Mr O’Rourke said the worst polluters can only be those local authorities and county councils that allow developers and households to pump out untreated sewage into the rivers and streams within their jurisdiction. Stressing that the ICMSA is as interested as anyone else in ending these flagrant acts of pollution, he called on Environment Minister Dick Roche to indicate when the most blatant polluters - county councils and local authorities - will be told to desist or face the consequences.

Mr O’Rourke said with just over six weeks away from decoupling, the critics of farmers are no doubt busy reheating their old “cheques in the post” jibes and insults.

He said he did not intend wasting time defending the sector against people whose only exposure to the real nature of agriculture is the occasional glimpse they get of a silage wrap out the window of their top-of-the-range car as they speed down one of the new motorways on a bank holiday Friday.

Mr O’Rourke said farmers have to be optimistic that they can harvest the opportunities and minimise the disadvantages that will emerge. Irish farming is at least as responsive and forward-looking as other sectors.

He said ICMSA’s vision for the future of farming is positive and energetic.