We can’t be bought off, says dairy boss
The protest will continue outside Government Buildings until Friday with farmers from all over country taking part.
ICMSA president Pat O’Rourke said the confusion generated by Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh on the matter last week proved a commission on farm income was required.
“Farmers will not be bought off by a mere reversal of cutbacks brought in recently by the Book of Estimates and the Budget, even though these are demands from the ICMSA,” Mr O’Rourke said.
He said he would not recommend to the ICMSA National Council to be part of any new national agreement that merely reversed recently introduced cuts while failing to address the core issue of farm incomes.
“It is bad enough that the minister does not know what solutions are required but he doesn’t even know the full extent of the problem,” Mr O’Rourke said.
He said the minister and his department should forget about the ‘band aid’ approach to agricultural policy.
The minister varied his solutions from day-to-day, citing social welfare, off-farm employment or suggesting farmers could get more from the market place. None of these were real solutions to the farm income crisis, he said.
Mr O’Rourke said Tánaiste Mary Harney gave him a commitment in writing before the election that she supported a commission on farm income.
Meanwhile, the Government has invited all the farming organisations to resumed talks on a new partnership deal on Thursday afternoon. John Dillon, president, IFA, which confirmed it would be attending, said it was time for the Government to show the same commitment to farmers as it has shown to other sectors in the talks.
