Social issues are key to votes
The Irish Examiner/ICMSA survey on farming attitudes found that, while the agricultural policies of the various political parties remain the top priority for farmers when deciding to vote, a large number of farmers also have social issues to the forefront of their minds when voting.
A total of 62% of farmers cited agricultural policies as the most crucial influence when deciding on what way to vote.
Farming policies were of most importance to tillage farmers, 71% of whom cited it as the main issue influencing their vote. This was followed by livestock/cattle farmers at 64%, dairy farmers at 61%, and other farmers at 38%.
However, social issues follow close behind, with half of all farmers stating that the cost of living was the prime issue influencing how they will vote next time.
This was followed by unemployment at 49%, austerity/debt at 48%, and emigration at 38%.
Other issues cited by a significant number of farmers as key issues are:
* Healthcare costs (27%);
* Crime/law and order/ vandalism (22%);
* Mortgage arrears (21%);
* Suicide (20%).
The issues of least importance to farmers in terms of voting were maintaining Ireland’s low level of corporation tax (12%), drug abuse (9%), and alcohol abuse (7%).
The study found that while there was very little difference among men and women or by party support over the issues influencing their vote, certain issues were of more importance in some parts of the country than in others.
For example, 81% of those surveyed in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, cited agricultural policies as the key issue influencing their vote, while about 74% mentioned austerity/debt as a key issue.
In Tinahely, Co Wicklow, unemployment, at 41%, was the key issue. For Skibbereen farmers in West Cork, the cost of living was most important, at 51%; while in Athenry in Co Galway, most farmers said austerity/debt was the most important issue for them when deciding how to vote (75%).
Just three of the eight regions surveyed — Tullamore in Co Offaly, Skibbereen in Co Cork and Cappamore in Co Limerick — cited agricultural issues as the most important issue influencing their vote.
While younger farmers and older farmers both placed parties’ agricultural policies as the most important issue, their concerns were somewhat divergent from then on.
For example, farmers under the age of 34 cited emigration (51%), austerity (50%), and the cost of living (47%) as the next most important issues influencing their vote. For farmers over the age of 65, the key issues after agricultural policy were the cost of living (53%), unemployment (47%), and austerity (45%).
