IFA protests to continue with farmers targeting council meetings
A large convoy of Galway farmers travelled into the city from Carnmore as part of a nationwide protest by the IFA, in solidarity with EU farmers protesting about regulation, income pressure and bureaucracy earlier this month. Picture: Ray Ryan
Farmers are going to target county council meetings around the country in the "next phase" of a campaign against rising costs and increased regulations.
Irish Farmers' Association president Francie Gorman has said the message for politicians is that "enough is enough".
This comes two weeks after thousands of farmers protested in counties across Ireland to show “solidarity with their EU counterparts” who have brought their tractors to cities across Europe.
The agricultural community in Ireland feels it is being “overregulated”, according to the IFA, with common “issues” shared with farmers who are protesting in other countries.
Longford IFA is the first branch to take action this week and said that farmers will hold a protest in advance of Longford County Council's meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Farmers will assemble outside Templemichael school at 3pm, with tractors and people and drive down to the council chambers, arriving before 3:30pm.
According to Longford IFA, farmers "hope to engage with the councillors and deliver a clear message on key farming issues".
This will be the first protest in the country in the "next phase of this campaign".
Longford IFA chairman John Sheridan told the that farmers are "trying to keep the pressure on" policymakers.
He said they are hoping to meet councillors, and "considering they're going for election this year, it's up to them to take the message and bring it back to Government".
He said politicians need to understand that farmers are "driven bonkers" by regulation, and they are "being knocked down the whole time".
Farmers feel they are getting an unproportionate amount of blame for climate change and environmental issues, Mr Sheridan said, and "enough is enough".
Farmers are also raising concerns about late scheme payments. "The amount of farmers that have us contacted over not getting paid for ACRES, and they have bills to pay. These are people who would never owe anything to anybody," Mr Sheridan added.
He said that every county is going to be taking part in these tractor protests as council meetings occur.
"We want people on feet as well; we want families to come into it, talk to the councillors and explain that we're being totally and utterly overregulated," Mr Sheridan added.
This protest "is a continuation, and it is going to continue from here".
"If people don't sit up and listen, we more than likely will start hitting cities," Mr Sheridan said.
