The Government recouped just €3.2m from the sale of more than 40 Garda stations, a total described as “derisory”.

A rural TD says elderly people should be allowed arm themselves with a taser gun and pepper spray.

The IFA is seeking more gardaí and patrol cars in rural Ireland in the wake of a weekend attack.

Hidden cameras to detect crimes in rural areas are being developed in an EU-funded project.

Ireland has been warned by the European Commission to designate more special areas of conservation. 

The EU proposal to offer South American countries a quota for 78,000 tonnes of beef sales in the EU was opposed this week by agriculture ministers from 20 EU member states.

Farmers, meat factories and the Department of Agriculture are all pushing to ensure the European Commission does not offer beef import quota concessions to South American countries.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney is urging the European Commission to keep sensitive products such as beef off the table until the end of the Mercosur trade talks.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has called on Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to intervene and prevent an exchange of offers on a trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur group of South American countries.

The number of fully paid-up members eligible to vote in the upcoming IFA elections stands at 75,501, said IFA National Chairman Jer Bergin last week.

Farmers have launched a poster campaign instructing the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Birdwatch Ireland to keep off their land.

The first votes in the election for the next president and deputy president of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) were cast last night.

The Irish Farmers Association is calling on the next Government to prioritise farm incomes.

The IFA has seen 528 members cancel their membership since November, when the organisation’s salaries and other payments to senior executives were the subject of extensive public scrutiny.

The search has started to find the 2016 FBD Young Farmer of the Year which will have an overall €3,000 travel bursary for the winner.

The search is officially under way for the 18th Young Farmer of the Year.

EU member states have been cleared to offer cash to dairy farmers reduce their milk supply, expected to be about 10c per litre of supply reduction they achieve.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said this week’s EU support measures for dairy and pigmeat sectors reflected most of the demands presented by Ireland.

THE inherited love that Irish people have for the humble spud is growing again after a brief cooling off in the 430-year relationship.

Below-cost vegetable sales are driving farmers out of a sector worth €350m annually to the local economy, the IFA said at protests outside Lidl and Aldi outlets.

The Irish Farmers’ Association has put a national chairman in place until elections are held for a new president.

Co Meath man Eddie Downey has been elected as the new president of the IFA.