Fitzmaurice: 'Most farmers out in the rain, snow or sun are on their own'
The solitary life of most farmers generally means the only person they see during their working day "is the postman," according to a Roscommon-Galway TD.
Independent Ireland TD, Michael Fitzmaurice, told the Dáil that these days "most farmers out in the rain, snow or sun are on their own".
Add to the fact that the average age of farmers in Ireland today is 59 and it paints a picture of a life that can not only be isolating but also dispiriting, particularly in a week when rain has been constant.
Deputy Fitzmaurice said: "We talk about well-being.
"What have we done for them when it comes to their well-being?"
He was speaking during a Dáil debate yesterday evening (Thursday, February 19) on Sinn Féin's bill to establish a Commission on the Future of the Family Farm.
Deputy Fitzmaurice said he supported the bill in light of the fact that "farmers around the country are facing a 24% cut to their Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments".
"How will that protect the family farm?" he asked.
Farmers
The Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture and Food, Martin Kenny, believes that establishing a commission on the future of the family farm is necessary to ensure that the Irish agriculture "is protected".
Deputy Kenny told the Dáil that "it has been a tradition in Ireland that most people came from a family farm".
"The mother, the father and maybe some of the children were involved in farm activity for a major portion of their lives and perhaps all of their lives.
"That has always been the tradition. However, in some sectors, that has moved on. As farming has become less profitable in some ways, it has become more intensive.
"Farms have therefore had to become larger. This has led to the model of a corporate farm replacing that of the family farm in some cases, particularly in certain sectors. That is not good for the image Ireland wants to portray to the world," he said.
According to Deputy Kenny, Ireland has to "ensure family farms are profitable enterprises for those who depend on them".
He said the reason that Sinn Féin had brought forward the legislation in the Dáil is to develop a system that can make "family farms viable for the long term".
Deputy Kenny said: "Very many people who have a small family farm unfortunately need to have off-farm income.
"In some cases, they may need more than one off-farm income if they are to survive. That makes things very difficult".
In response to the proposed bill, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Noel Grealish, said that the bill's objectives "are already being comprehensively addressed through existing policy frameworks".
Deputy Grealish pointed to the government's Food Vision 2030, the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027, and the ongoing work arising from the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming.
However, he also commended Deputy Kenny "on the intent of the Commission on the Future of the Family Farm Bill 2024, as the majority of issues raised are a priority for government".
"The family farm model is central to Ireland's agrifood sector and rural economy.
"Supporting its viability, sustainability and continuity has been a consistent priority of government policy," the minister added.
