Irish Farmers Association members stage Enough is Enough protest outside Tipperary council offices

Tipperary County Council’s elected members have resolved to call on the Government not to introduce further regulations or cost increasing measures on farmers without agreement following an IFA protest outside the local authority’s Clonmel Civic Offices on Monday.

The call is part of a motion unanimously passed at the Council’s March meeting where councillors endorsed the IFA’s Enough is Enough campaign of protest highlighting farmers’ anger over increased regulation and rising costs.

The motion, tabled by Fine Gael Cllr Declan Burgess, also resolves that the Council call on the EU and Irish Government to provide extra stand alone funding, separate to the Common Agricultural Policy, to support farmers to undertake climate and biodiversity measures.

Councillors also unanimously agreed to include Thurles Cllr Jim Ryan’s proposed addition that the Council call on the Finance Minister to restore the VAT refund to farmers not registered for VAT.

The protest held before the start of the Council meeting was attended by more than 20 Irish Farmers Association members from all over the county.

It was led by South Tipperary IFA Chairman Pat Carroll and North Tipperary IFA Chairman Baden Powell.

They both later addressed the Council meeting about Tipperary farmers’ concerns and frustration about the increasing burden of bureaucracy and regulations at local, national and EU level on farmers.

Mr Carroll from New Inn told councillors that over the past number of weeks farmers across mainland Europe have been voicing their frustration at the ever increasing administrative burden being placed on them which have had a major impact on farm family incomes, with huge increased costs.

This along with costs increases caused by the Ukrainian War have been “crippling” on farmers and the cost of doing business in Tipperary at this point and time was “onerous”.

“This frustration has broadened into anger with European and national law makers  over the massive increase in regulations relating to agriculture,” he explained.

“The EU, the Irish Government and local government are devising policies  that are far from the farm gate, with little or no consideration of the direct impact on farmers,” he said.

Michael Kehoe from Ballydine, Kilsheelan was among the farmers who took a break from their work to protest outside the Council offices.

Mr Kehoe, who is father of Tipperary hurler Mark Kehoe, is fed up with the wall of bureaucracy he deals with daily. He found it difficult to get through to a human when he phoned Department of Agriculture offices with queries. When he eventually got someone, they didn’t have any authority to help him.

“Whoever you ring you get an answering machine. You can’t speak to a person. They all seem to be working from home.

“It would be easier to go down to the bishop to register a child than register a calf. It’s absolutely crazy,” he declared.