A TD has that she supports a planned demonstration of “solidarity” this evening (Thursday, February 1) by Irish farmers to support their protesting counterparts in several EU countries.
The demonstrations this evening are organised by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), whose president, Francie Gorman, said farmers in Ireland have been watching the protests across Europe and “want to show support” for their European counterparts.
Gorman did not describe the planned show of solidarity as a protest but acknowledged that there is “mounting frustration” among Irish farmers about the impact of EU policy.
Independent Laois-Offaly TD Carol Nolan has said she “fully understands” why the IFA is taking this step.
Nolan described the action this evening as “a last-ditch effort to highlight fury and frustration at the apparent indifference of the EU institutions, particularly with regard to the impact of agricultural and environmental policies”.
“Farmers are battle weary and they have been left with no option but to engage in these protests as a last resort,” Nolan added.
The TD said that farmers, and their families, are “sick and tired of rhetorical sleights of hand when it comes to talk about valuing and supporting our farmers”.
According to Nolan, the EU and the government here are implementing policies “that are routinely making it more and more difficult for them survive”.
“There is a bureaucratic model of farming deeply embedded in the EU and here in Ireland that is light years away from the kind of hands-on understanding that is required to allow our farmers and indeed the entire agri-sector to thrive going forward,” she said.
“These protests today are an act of solidarity with the EU farmers who can also see quite clearly where these policies are going to lead,” Nolan added.
The TD warned that the current “path” the EU and Irish government is on “is one of conflict, loss of productivity, increased food insecurity and devastation to livelihoods”.