Farming organisations accused of failing members facing pensions poverty

THE EU has been creating schemes which are not being implemented as expected. In the case of the farmers’ early retirement scheme, changes were made to the terms and conditions while the EU Commission and the Department of Agriculture each lays the blame with the other.

Mary Coughlan, when agriculture minister, ignored the findings of the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Agriculture & Food and of the Petitions Committee in Brussels by failing to address the difficulties cited by them that she had promised to rectify.

Deliberate and systematic discrimination and intimidation have been practised by officials against a certain category of retired farmers. In 1997, almost mid-way through the first retirement scheme, the Department of Agriculture, in connivance with the departments of Finance and Social Welfare, changed the terms and conditions whereby all national retirement pensions, except where spouses were joint owners of farms, were henceforth deducted from the EU farm retirement scheme. This created unplanned poverty and deprivation for many farming families.

This is 21st century Ireland where older people, often in poor health, have their peace of mind and modest financial arrangements put under threat by an uncaring bureaucracy. This was supported by farm organisations which failed in their duty to represent their members. Those who are supporting the Lisbon Treaty are themselves in secure positions, some in receipt of excessive incomes plus expenses.

We call for solidarity among all retired persons, especially retired farmers and anyone who would be adversely affected by the Lisbon Treaty, to vote no and show that mindless bureaucracy cannot treat people like serfs.

If the farm organisations are not capable of representing their members, then it is time to revive the Irish Land League.

Seán Guerin

Chairman

Farm Retirement

Group for Justice

Tarbert

Listowel

Co Kerry