NOEL GILES,
Madam, - Recent statements by Green Party TDs confirm that the Green Party is now dominated by its Dublin-based TDs who wish to turn everywhere outside the Pale into a theme park. One such Green TD wants to fence off thousands of miles of streams and groundwater from livestock, while another wants Irish farm families to carry the full brunt of reducing Irish greenhouse emissions by getting rid of thousands of cattle.
This Dublin elite have now reached their nadir in their blind support for the latest Fischler proposals on CAP. These proposals are openly designed to reduce incomes to most farmers, while turning over the bulk of Irish food production to large, intensive producers. They are oblivious to the increase in imports of lower standard and the loss of rural jobs, which will result.
The decoupling of payments from production runs directly counter to the long established Green Party policy of tiered payments, which were biased towards the smaller farmer, by paying more on a lesser number of units and decreasing the payment per unit as the number of units got larger.
Mr Fischler has made no secret that the purpose of his proposals is to fit in with the World Trade Organisation and globalisation. It is ironic to hear the Green Party spokespersons support such a strategy from the European Commission, but even this pales beside the party U-turn on genetic engineering.
The changed party policy "welcomes the opportunities" that such technology "could offer for the development of an agriculture which is sustainable, low in chemical, energy and pesticide input, and which is applicable to small farmers worldwide." This support for genetically-engineered crops is merely the latest betrayal of basic Green Party principles.
The microphone and the camera are now the only criteria which matter to the Dublin Green Party public representatives. I will not be renewing my membership of the Green Party, as it is no longer worthy of the name and, sadly, will join the haemorrhage of members from the party. - Yours, etc.,
NOEL GILES, Agriculture and Food Consultant and former Green Party policy developer. Clohane House, Bandon, Co Cork.