Farmers protest outside Athlone conference attended by Agriculture Minister
A large group of farmers staged a protest outside the Athlone Springs Hotel last night (Thursday), while it hosted a conference attended by Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.
A number of coordinated demonstrations were organised across the country by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) yesterday, but it's understood the Athlone protest was organised independently and was not affiliated with any farming body.
Minister McConalogue was at the hotel for the AGM and annual conference of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA), and at one stage a protester entered the conference room to remonstrate directly with him.
The demonstrations this week coincided with farmers protesting across Europe over EU regulations, pressure on incomes, and red tape.
In Mullingar yesterday evening, around 30 tractors gathered at the local equestrian centre at around 6pm before driving through the town.
The Westmeath IFA chairperson, Richard O'Brien, from Clonbnny, Athlone, said the demonstration in Mullingar was "not a protest" but an expression of solidarity.
"We're standing in solidarity with farmers protesting across Europe at the moment," he stated.
"We have similar concerns and there is just way too much red tape coming from Europe at the moment, and our own government.
"There is a lot of frustration among farmers in this country."
Mr O'Brien said it was possible local farmers might engage in active protest, similar to France, if things continued on the same track.
"We don't want to disrupt the public, but we don't want it to be seen that the IFA did nothing either," he said.
"There are lots of people out there at the moment who accuse us of wanting to block motorways, airports and cities.
"At the end of the day, all that is doing is annoying people who want to buy your product, so that's not the way we want to go at the moment.
"We may think in the future of doing a proper protest outside the Department [of Agriculture] offices, but we're not on the attack against our own government at the moment."
Mr O'Brien said supermarkets in Ireland were often forcing farmers to accept low prices.
"Farmers' produce is always getting knocked down to get customers in the door," he said.
"Supermarkets will do a deal on eggs, so your half dozen eggs could cost €1.30 or €1.40 one week and while they get you in to buy them cheaply they will mark up something else.
"There is a Food Ombudsman being put in place at the moment so we're hoping that they would have some control over loss selling."
The IFA chairman said he also had an issue with the Department of Agriculture's handling of the ACRES environmental scheme, nitrate limits, and "continuous false promises" from Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.