Fianna Fáil says it has has upped the ante considerably on Minister Simon Coveney sighting European Treaty Law as grounds to demand a fair return for farmers.
Senator Marc Mac Sharry claims that under article 39b of the EU Treaty Farming Families are entitled to a fair living from the land.
He commented: “It is time that Irish and European Authorities are forced to keep their word.
“With a producer to consumer price differential of between 350% and 1600% farming families are struggling while farm payments designed to give farmers a fair living are doing little more than subsidising the profits of multinationals.
“This is wrong, unsustainable and against the very principles on which European Union is based. I confirmed in our recent meeting with the EU commission in Brussels that under Article 39B of the EU Treaty Farmers are entitled to a fair living from the land. With an Irish Agricultural Commissioner just appointed we intend to force Minister Coveney and Commissioner Hogan to champion the cause of a fair living from the land set out in EU Treaty Law.”
Senator Mac Sharry and his party colleagues will host a Public Meeting in The Bush Hotel, Carrick-On-Shannon tomorrow evening (October 6th at 8:30pm).
“The meeting will be chaired by Cllr Ivan Connaughton and speakers include Pat O’ Rourke, Northern Ireland Livestock & Meat Commission (LMC) Chairman, party Agriculture Spokesman Eamon Ó Cuív and Senator Mac Sharry. This follows previous meetings with farmers, the EU Commission and Russian Authorities.
“There are tangible moves that can be done to try to assist the crisis in beef and farm incomes. Over recent weeks we have seen cattle prices rises in Northern Ireland and the UK according to the LMC but prices in the Republic have fallen to 10th place in terms of highest to lowest price in the EU. The Government’s head in the sand approach is not good enough. We are taking action.”