Laois farmers level with Laois politicians saying 'enough is enough'

Laois farmers descended on Portlaoise in big numbers this week to tell public representatives that farm supports have been decimated whilst they are almost being regulated out of business.

The Enough is Enough protest involved upward of 100 tractors being parked up in front of county hall before IFA leaders made the case directly to councillors and some Laois County Council officials in County Hall.

Ballinakill man and national IFA president Francie Gorman made the case in the chamber on Monday, February 26. He said the protest was mounted to demonstrate the importance of the issues faced. He told councillors that the protest turnout showed clearly that the campaign reflected the views of farmers on the ground.

He said farmers believe that they are being ‘regulated out of business while incomes are falling with supports cut. He urged councillors to be mindful of these issues as they face the people in this year’s local elections.

“It is hugely important for us that when county councillors are running for election and are elected and they are talking to their political masters in the Dáil, Government or European parliament that they have a full feeling about how farmers feel. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

“Over the last ten years we’ve seen our supports frozen but in real terms decimated,” he said.

He said there are very few farmers in Laois who have not seen support from Europe ‘taking a huge hit’.

In a clear message to councillors about the strength farmers have, Mr Gorman said there are about 3,000 farmers in Laois with direct payments worth up to €40 million to farms. He estimated that farm produce in Laois could worth up to €300 million.

“Farming is a huge part of what we do in Laois to maintain our schools, pubs, churches, sports clubs. We won’t have them if we don’t have farming.

“If you take farming out of Laois there would be a big big hole left,” he said.

Mr Gorman also highlighted how farmers are as he put it “regulated out of business”. He instanced the Nitrates change forced on farmers which he said would have no impact on improving water quality which he said was “hard to stomach”. 

“You try to explain that to a farmer who has to reduce his stock numbers and no benefit coming in terms of water quality,” he said. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

But he insisted that the “political masters” are not listening.

“We want proper consultation with Government that is going allow policies and schemes to work at farm level,” he said.

Along with this, he said farms are also not getting financial support which he said would also keep jobs in rural Ireland.

Mr Gorman said the IFA will soon be publishing its local election manifesto. He said the IFA is political but farmers would vote for candidates who help tackle problems facing farmers.

“We will be asking our members to vote for the candidates that have the best interaction with our manifesto and who they feel are going to deliver,” he said. 

He thanked the council for the opportunity to make the case and said Laois County Council understands the importance of farming to Laois. He said that is always appreciated.

Laois IFA Chairman John Fitzpatrick also appealed for councillors to back farmers to tackle a list of issues that is he said ‘getting very long’. He also reminded the public representatives about IFA's strength locally. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

“We are quite a strong organisation with 20 branches and over 2,000 farmers members,” he told public representatives.