IFA agrees to collaboration with Irish Countrywomen’s Association
Their presidents, Eddie Downey and Liz Wall, agreed on the move at a meeting in the Irish Farm Centre in Dublin this week.
IFA Farm Family Committee chairwoman Maura Canning, who attended the meeting, said: “We have cross-membership and many of our issues and priorities are very similar. Farm safety and rural isolation are two of the key issues we have been working hard on individually.
“We hope that, through collaboration, we can strengthen and advance these important issues further.”
Another major focus for both organisations is generating support for local communities and economies.
Ms Wall said: “Both organisations are at the heart of the community across Ireland. Their joint efforts will focus on community development and helping to develop local economies by supporting local producers and businesses.”
Other issues affecting rural Ireland and IFA and ICA members discussed included women’s pensions, the Fair Deal Scheme, and the stress and bureaucracy involved in farm inspections on all the family.
The IFA and ICA will have further interaction over the coming months to develop strategies.
