Members of the Irish Farmers’ Associations’ (IFA) West Cork Grain Committee are seeking a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, ahead of a local agricultural show this weekend.

Minister Creed is apparently penciled in to attend Barryroe Show in Lislevane, Bandon, Co. Cork, on Saturday, July 8.

However, members of the IFA’s Grain Committee are currently occupying the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture in Dublin; they decided to stage a sit-in on Wednesday afternoon.

 

The President of the IFA, Joe Healy, outlines why the association is staging the protest outside the Department of Agriculture in Dublin today! #IFAsitin

Posted by Agriland on Thursday, July 6, 2017

The farmers are protesting over proposed payments under a potential tillage crisis fund for farmers who lost crops during the poor harvest last year.

It has been confirmed to AgriLand that tillage farmers in the IFA’s West Cork branch have requested a meeting with Minister Creed ahead of Barryroe Show. They will encourage him to engage with the IFA and its president, Joe Healy, to iron out issues surrounding a crisis fund.

Minister Creed – who is the TD for Cork North-West – was in Co. Kerry this morning on a visit to a social farming project at Hazelfort Farm, Ballymalis, Beaufort.

As it stands, the protest at the headquarters of the department is now entering its third day. Only five IFA delegates are allowed to enter the building due to health and safety reasons.

It is believed there has been some communication between Minister Creed and Healy in recent days, but the minister has not yet met with the protesters.

 

IFA Grain Committee Chairman, Liam Dunne, gives an update on the protest at the Department of Agriculture HQ as it enters its third day!

Posted by Agriland on Friday, July 7, 2017

The protest began following reports in the media that payments under a proposed tillage crisis fund would be capped at €5,000 per farmer. The IFA had been under the impression that the payments would be capped at €15,000 per farmer; the maximum allowed under EU regulations.

The department recently confirmed that the final terms and conditions, as well as details regarding an application process for such a scheme, are yet to be finalised and published.