Machinery repossessions slammed

HEAVY-HANDED tactics by repossessors of farm machinery have been condemned in the Dáil and in the European Parliament.

MEP Seán Kelly told the parliament in Strasbourg last week he had been contacted by four people about behaviour of receivers going into farmyards in isolated areas. He said they “frighten the living daylights out of them”, ignore all protocol, take machinery and “do enormous damage and a great deal of threatening, both in language and indeed in physical activity”.

Earlier, Tipperary South independent TD Mattie McGrath told the Dáil how agents of a finance company removed machines at night from an agricultural contractor family at Drangan, Thurles, Co Tipperary, who have been in business for four decades. Mr McGrath said they came without notice of any kind, broke and entered into an adjoining property, travelled across two fields and upset livestock and broke fences. Gardai were present. They attended in order to prevent any possible breach of the peace, according to the Garda Press Office.