Tipperary's economy hugely dependent on farming, says ICMSA leader Pat McCormack

Farming is massive for the Tipperary economy, according to Pat McCormack, the ICMSA president who hails from Donaskeagh.

“Whether it’s Cashel, Tipperary, Nenagh, Carrick on Suir, Thurles, Roscrea, Templemore they all have a significant input from farming.

“If agriculture is going well and if there is a surplus at the end of the year, farmers are very, very good to spend it in the local economy and that is felt by the local tradesmen, the local merchants, the concrete merchants, the shed providers and the machinery outlets,” he says.

But, unfortunately because of 2018, the work that is being carried out is at its minimum because farmers hadn’t anything to reinvest after the year, according to Pat.

Does he think we are seeing the fall out from that with certain aspects of the economy going great but when it comes to towns and villages such as Tipperary Town and Thurles to a certain extent, they have suffered because the hinterland hasn’t being doing as well.

“When you talk to older people about the rural town like Thurles they will always the say that the loss of the beet factory was never replaced. That was an agriculture industry in the town.

“When you come to Tipperary Town you could certainly wipe a significant amount off their economy if Tipp Co-op was moved from the town, but, thankfully, it’s a key employer, the largest employer in the town. But it just highlights the dependency that there is in rural towns on agriculture and it is not just the direct jobs it’s also the service providers making a living. You take Cahir Meats, it has a significant impact on the town, as does the plant in Nenagh,” says Pat.

Being from outside Tipp Town, how does he view the way the town has had to protest in order to seek jobs and investment and for agencies to sit up and take notice of it?

“I did my leaving Cert in 1995 and in the afternoon you would see the shift change out of PAL, that factory needs to become a significant employer again. That closed space needs to be utilised,” he says.

Pat further maintains that Tipp Town needs a second strong industry.

“There is a full gas service to the town and that would have to be a positive. I think a positive attitude is needed,” he says.

But while the farm leader complimented the protesters on their campaign up to now, he thinks they need to work in unity with the councillors and “probably care less about the TDs, because, unfortunately, we don't have a TD in the Tipperary district and that's a regret”.

He points out that Tipperary did have two junior ministers in Tom Hayes and Martin Mansergh, but “one after the other they were voted out”.

“We do need to secure a politician in the area. That politician needs to get the backing of the councillors and the backing of the protest group to deliver for Tipperary Town because we need an industry. We have a number of buildings in the town that are a huge asset if industry wanted to start. There are good news stories out there in the town, but, unfortunately, the black cloud out there that hangs the town over is unbelievable.”

And, he believes, part of the rejuvenation of the town rests with the locals, who he says need to support the town as well.

“I travel a fair bit of the country and it is fairly unusual to drive through a town and not have a hotel and that is where we are,” he says.

He sees part of the problem at national level, with too much emphasis on bringing everything to the capital.

Even if there was more regionalisation and places such as Clonmel, Waterford or even Limerick were developed into industry centres, people would be able commute, he says, “but I suppose the difficulty is they are held very much around Dublin and that is very evident on the M50 car park, or you'll see tradesmen coming with their tools from Portlaoise in the morning.”