Protest in Dublin June 19th

Capercaille

The banner "Commonage/SAC restrictions destroying livelihoods" sends out a bad signal to general public. As one person put it " farmers expect to have these payments lodged into their bank accounts and then not comply with the responsibilities under which they accepted them".

Conmaicne Mara

Capercaille wrote: »

The banner "Commonage/SAC restrictions destroying livelihoods" sends out a bad signal to general public. As one person put it " farmers expect to have these payments lodged into their bank accounts and then not comply with the responsibilities under which they accepted them".

In that case you're both not understanding the situation, or the message.

The designations were not accepted. They were forced upon us. It's that simple. 83 hectares of my land is designated. The raft of restrictions can be found on the NPWS site, I've posted it twice recently.

What payments? Because I receive exactly €0.00 per H/A for my designated land.

That's the situation.

The message follows:

Two options, either lift the designations off our land and let us farm our farms. Or, pay the €150 per H/A as sanctioned by the European Union on that land. Don't expect farmers to sit still while our land is stolen by the State.

The decision NOT to pay it is entirely an Irish Political decision. The Department of Agriculture said there is no problem paying it, it's a political decision not to.

I have said time and again, I don't not necessarily mind being what I call an "Environmental Farmer" but I'll not do it for free and don't expect me to do so regardless what Joe Bloggs thinks.

This is my livelihood, not his.

Conmaicne Mara

Most importantly.

An absolute huge

Thank You

To everyone who made the time to travel and attend today's protest.

Believe me when I say it is very much appreciated. We know we all preferred to be elsewhere today, sometimes it's necessary to stand up for ourselves.

Again, Thank You.

John_Rambo

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

In that case you're both not understanding the situation, or the message.

If people are not understanding the message then the poster is giving out the wrong message! You're going to have to get your excellent long and articulate post from early that explained everything very well in to a few words on a poster. (not easy ) Your hand written poster was pretty cool, it's obvious a good bit of effort went in to it.

Hope you enjoyed your day in the capital, I also hope you get results, I hope people were nice to you and that you felt the warmth of the city. I also hope that some day you will change your unfounded negative feelings about Dublin.

Conmaicne Mara

John_Rambo wrote: »

If people are not understanding the message then the poster is giving out the wrong message! You're going to have to get your excellent long and articulate post from early that explained everything very well in to a few words on a poster. (not easy ) Your hand written poster was pretty cool, it's obvious a good bit of effort went in to it.

Hope you enjoyed your day in the capital, I also hope you get results, I hope people were nice to you and that you felt the warmth of the city. I also hope that some day you will change your unfounded negative feelings about Dublin.

Interested people must, in fact they have an obligation to educate themselves. As I've said, this is a very complex situation. Honestly there is a fair number of farmers who don't grasp it, and even for us involved it's still hard. There's just too many individual situations to pigeon hole the argument.

If we could, it'd be a lot easier.

I think a handwritten sign has a lot more value than pre printed posters in all honesty. Firstly it allows the bearer to get across their message and not necessarily the message of the person who's written a pre printed poster for them. Or the short version, I much prefer the personal touch.

We're very sensitive to the fact that while Dublin is the root of all evil the seat of Government and draws protests from all parts of society every week of the year, that it is also home and place of work to an awful lot of people.

In that respect we were careful not to block access to the footpath or otherwise obstruct the daily lives of Dubs, quite simply because it's not their fault we had to do what we did today.

Capercaille

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

In that case you're both not understanding the situation, or the message.

The designations were not accepted. They were forced upon us. It's that simple. 83 hectares of my land is designated. The raft of restrictions can be found on the NPWS site, I've posted it twice recently.

What payments? Because I receive exactly €0.00 per H/A for my designated land.

That's the situation.

The message follows:

Two options, either lift the designations off our land and let us farm our farms. Or, pay the €150 per H/A as sanctioned by the European Union on that land. Don't expect farmers to sit still while our land is stolen by the State.

The decision NOT to pay it is entirely an Irish Political decision. The Department of Agriculture said there is no problem paying it, it's a political decision not to.

I have said time and again, I don't not necessarily mind being what I call an "Environmental Farmer" but I'll not do it for free and don't expect me to do so regardless what Joe Bloggs thinks.

This is my livelihood, not his.

The designations were put in place to protect threatened habitats/animals and had to be done. Not everybody in designated lands gets nothing. My small bit of land is in a SPA and I get payments. I agree farmers in designated lands should receive fair payments especially since farm payments to large farmers are often obscene.

Conmaicne Mara

Capercaille wrote: »

The designations were put in place to protect threatened habitats/animals and had to be done. Not everybody in designated lands gets nothing. My small bit of land is in a SPA and I get payments. I agree farmers in designated lands should receive fair payments especially since farm payments to large farmers are often obscene.

The reason they were put in place is irrelevant to today's message.

The choice is, pay the owners of designated lands what the EU says is a fair price for the imposition the restrictions have, or remove them.

We will not tolerate the Government having it's cake and eating it. This is not going to be let go or forgotten. This is just the start.

There should be an environmental scheme for any farmer who wishes to join one, and rightly so. However, a broad based environmental scheme is not a designated lands scheme, that's the crucial difference.

Capercaille

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

The reason they were put in place is irrelevant to today's message.

The choice is, pay the owners of designated lands what the EU says is a fair price for the imposition the restrictions have, or remove them.

We will not tolerate the Government having it's cake and eating it. This is not going to be let go or forgotten. This is just the start.

There should be an environmental scheme for any farmer who wishes to join one, and rightly so. However, a broad based environmental scheme is not a designated lands scheme, that's the crucial difference.

Restrictions on SAC's are widely ignored in this Country anyway, so that is that choice that will probably be made.

Conmaicne Mara

Capercaille wrote: »

Restrictions on SAC's are widely ignored in this Country anyway

Not as far as I am aware.

Capercaille

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Not as far as I am aware.

Raised bog SAC's being destroyed. Near me, rampant overgrazing on the Inishkea Islands.

Conmaicne Mara

Capercaille wrote: »

Raised bog SAC's being destroyed. Near me, rampant overgrazing on the Inishkea Islands.

Bogs issue and today's protest are completely separate affairs.

Hard for me to comment on individual cases I know nothing about in fairness.

It is wholly unhelpful to farmers Minister Coveney is not prepared to engage in a meaningful way on the issues brought before him. If he would, in good faith, a lot of positive progress would be made rapidly.

For his sins I hope he's shuffled into Health.

micraX

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

We're very sensitive to the fact that while Dublin is the root of all evil the seat of Government and draws protests from all parts of society every week of the year, that it is also home and place of work to an awful lot of people.

Great farm land in Dublin

Conmaicne Mara

micraX wrote: »

Great farm land in Dublin

Some of the best in the country I am told, haven't seen it for myself.

micraX

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Some of the best in the country I am told, haven't seen it for myself.

It is, sure isn't that how city's start, near fertile areas so food can be grown. Pity a lot has been built, especially in the north of the county.

Conmaicne Mara

micraX wrote: »

It is, sure isn't that how city's start, near fertile areas so food can be grown. Pity a lot has been built, especially in the north of the county.

All the building madness of the recent past was a frequent topic on the bus up and down today, not quite sure why.

Conmaicne Mara

http://connachttribune.ie/connemara-farmers-take-protest-dail/

Attendance was very good from all across the country today, including one straggler from WM.

Conmaicne Mara

Brown Podzol wrote: »

Best of luck Con, give em hell. Will you be carrying that poster, I'll look out for you in the Media.

That was my plan but I was holding one half of the Connemara banner for most of the time. I wasn't holding my sign, someone else was, I don't even have it any longer not sure what happened to it tbh.

Conmaicne Mara

Phone lens is scratched, hence blurry vision.

Poor Farmer in the hills

Was at the protest yesterday was very impressed with some of the speakers especially Brendan Joice at the end!. Not so sure the leadership of IFA want to take it much further. I would love to see this protest gather more momentum. Most of the farmers this affects dont seem to realise how bad the situation is

Conmaicne Mara

Jesus yeah, Brendan gave a hell of a speech. He's traveled thousands of miles out of his own pocket across this country, and out to Brussels, deserves credit for that. I thought Tom Turley said a lot of things that needed saying as well.

I would hope, and Turley wasn't saying that they weren't, that IFA will continue to support us on this issue. In the event that doesn't happen, there are plenty of bus operators in the areas affected.

Unfortunately I do agree with you on the problem with getting information out in an easily understandable manner. There's also a problem in fatalistic thinking, what we get is what we deserve type of self fulfilling prophecies.

The most potent weapon, once it's properly wielded with a purpose is the ability to turn out large focused crowds on a politicians doorstep.

sheebadog

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

The most potent weapon, once it's properly wielded with a purpose is the ability to turn out large focused crowds on a politicians doorstep.

Problem with the Irish farmers is that they don't stick together.
How many dairy, beef, tillage etc farmers turned up to support ye?

Conmaicne Mara

sheebadog wrote: »

Problem with the Irish farmers is that they don't stick together.
How many dairy, beef, tillage etc farmers turned up to support ye?

They don't, but sure you can't let that stop you. As was said at our pre-protest meeting in Clifden, if people won't turn out for their own income, then they deserve nothing.

There are plenty of low income farmers in this country. They need a bit of self belief and positive attitude, with the right people and message they'll turn up to have a go.

The fatalistic attitude I talked about before is almost as insidious as depression, it's hard to shift that pattern of thinking. All you can do is your best, inform people of what's going on and offer them an opportunity.

It's their pocket at the end of the day.

rangler1

sheebadog wrote: »

Problem with the Irish farmers is that they don't stick together.
How many dairy, beef, tillage etc farmers turned up to support ye?[/QUOTE]

Can't even get them out on their own issues

A great crowd of people in Dublin yesterday,
Remind you of the farmers that walked to Dublin in the 60s

micraX

rangler1 wrote: »

sheebadog wrote: »

Problem with the Irish farmers is that they don't stick together.
How many dairy, beef, tillage etc farmers turned up to support ye?[/QUOTE]

Can't even get them out on their own issues


A great crowd of people in Dublin yesterday,
Remind you of the farmers that walked to Dublin in the 60s

Well I dunno about dairy and beef but if vegetable farmers went out and protested they would lose any contacts they had.

Qualitymark

micraX wrote: »

rangler1 wrote: »

Well I dunno about dairy and beef but if vegetable farmers went out and protested they would lose any contacts they had.

Only if the protestors were a few individuals who could be targeted.

God be with the days of the 1900s when the co-ops started, with Raffeisen banks and co-funding and real co-operation.

micraX

Qualitymark wrote: »

micraX wrote: »

Only if the protestors were a few individuals who could be targeted.

God be with the days of the 1900s when the co-ops started, with Raffeisen banks and co-funding and real co-operation.

Well tbh there isn't too many vegetable produces anymore. I know of one lad over the road who reported to the papers about how badly he was treated as a supplier and the next year he got no orders so just goes to show you cant speak out.

Qualitymark

micraX wrote: »

Qualitymark wrote: »

Well tbh there isn't too many vegetable produces anymore. I know of one lad over the road who reported to the papers about how badly he was treated as a supplier and the next year he got no orders so just goes to show you cant speak out.

Or maybe it shows you that farmers need to sell more directly to households.

Conmaicne Mara

http://connachttribune.ie/hill-farmers-seek-fair-deal/

blue5000

I wonder what has this lad got up his sleeve?
http://www.thejournal.ie/simon-coveney-bilderberg-conference-1490010-May2014/

Conmaicne Mara

blue5000 wrote: »

I wonder what has this lad got up his sleeve?
http://www.thejournal.ie/simon-coveney-bilderberg-conference-1490010-May2014/

Key to the Department of Health