As the REDC RTÉ exit poll figures are suggesting this morning, Saturday, May 25, sitting MEP for the Midlands-North West Constituency Matt Carthy, is firmly on target to secure his second term in office.

Carthy – who is also a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture & Rural Development Committee – has been a strong voice in Europe, over the last five years, for Irish suckler farmers, Brexit and rural issues that include stealth taxes on families and cuts to local services.

And, according to the exit poll figures, the Co. Monaghan native is on 15%, thus maintaining a respectable second place behind his EU colleague Mairéad McGuinness.

All the indications, at this stage, point to Carthy clinching the second seat in this four-seat constituency where 10 candidates are battling it out for a place at the European Parliament’s table. 

Other candidates in the race include Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (Ind); Brendan Smyth (FF); Saoirse McHugh (GP); Peter Casey (Ind); Anne Rabbitte (FF); Maria Walsh (FG); Fidelma Healy Eames (Ind); and Dominic Hannigan (Lab).

Image source: RTÉ

Counting in the European Election begins tomorrow morning, May 26, and is likely to rumble on for a number of days.

Meanwhile, Carthy, in his efforts to keep up the good fight for the suckler farmers in this country, raised concerns back in January over “the increasing feedlot kill figures on the overall beef market”.

He also warned of an end to the traditional family farm model – if the trend were to continue.

“The recent revelations that the percentage of the national beef kill coming from feedlots has climbed to over 18% is deeply concerning for the future of rural communities,” he added.

“The figures provide an insight in to why beef prices are on the floor.”

Meanwhile, Carthy continues to speak regularly about the Brexit negotiations and the issues surrounding the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

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Last month he accused the Irish Government of “failing to fight the corner of Irish farmers when it comes to the EU budget”.

Image source: RTÉ

“The most significant upcoming battle for farmers will be the allocation of the CAP budget,” he said.

Since joining the EU in 1973, almost 80% of the funds that have come to Ireland through EU programmes have been to support agriculture.

“In the first round of these discussions, the Irish Government displayed its inability to fight the farmers’ corner when it counts.

“This blank check has farmers starting down the barrel of a 15% cut to CAP in real terms, including a 27% cut to rural development.”