The Irish Family-Farm Rights Group (IFRG) held the first in a series of public farmer petition meetings last Thursday night, January 30, in Kilkenny Mart.

National chair of the group, Donie Shine, noted that attendees on the night strongly supported the group’s petition for a reintroduction of the old Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) programme and for a €300/head suckler cow scheme in the interim until the new REPS Scheme comes in.

Shine said:

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all the farmers who made the time to turn out last night to sign the petition even though many are now busy with the calving season underway.

“I also wish to sincerely thank all those politicians that took time out of their busy election canvasses to attend, to address, and to field searching questions from the audience, all participants making heartfelt contributions firmly in support of a new fully co-funded REPS Scheme and in support of a suckler cow scheme in the interim.”

Shine highlighted the group’s next meetings:

“Meetings are scheduled to take place at River Island Hotel, Castleisland, Co. Kerry, on Thursday, February 6, at 8:00pm and at Loughrea Hotel, Loughrea, Co. Galway, Thursday, February 20, at 8:00pm.

Farmers on the ground must have their voices heard for a change; now is the time to do it with a general election coming up and before the next CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] is finalised for the next seven to nine years.

“This they can achieve by signing our petition,” the chairman concluded.