THE YOUNG farmers' organisation Macra na Feirme last night launched an online petition to Taoiseach Brian Cowen seeking a reversal of Budget cuts that suspended the scheme for establishing young farmers and helping older farmers retire.
Hundreds of Macra members attended a rally in Mr Cowen's home town, Tullamore, Co Offaly, to protest at the suspension of the schemes which allow the transfer of lands from older to younger people. Macra president Catherine Buckley told the rally, attended by young farmers from all over the State, that the Government was wasting money such as €65 million for e-voting while €7 million spent on the farm schemes would generate jobs in rural areas.
Irish Farmers' Association deputy president Derek Deane said the cancellation of the installation aid for young farmers and early retirement scheme was an attack on the weak and was a disaster. He knew of farmers who had signed over their farms to their sons and would not have any income until they retired.
Fine Gael agriculture spokesman Michael Creed said Irish farming needed the brightest and the best, but now obstacles were being put in their path. He gave a commitment to reverse the cuts when Fine Gael took power.
Sinn Féin agriculture spokesman Martin Ferris said his party would be supporting the Fine Gael private members' motion next week in the Dáil seeking a reversal of the cuts.
Local Fine Gael TD Olwyn Enright urged the young people to lobby as hard as they could. While she did not expect Fianna Fáil backbenchers to vote with her party next week, they would be seek changes to the policies if they were put under enough pressure.
A number of the speakers attacked the Government's policies and one Meath delegate suggested the number of public servants should be halved. Others demanded that the organisation take its protest to the streets of Dublin. Some speakers were critical of the fact the Mary O'Rourke TD, who had been invited to attend the meeting, had not made an appearance.