No quarter given as Euro hopefuls fight for farmer vote

Candidates attacked each other with relish at a recent IFA husting in Mullingar, nominally covering topics such as the CAP budget, farm succession and climate change

Tempers flared and candidates floundered at a recent European election husting as candidates vied for the crucial farmer vote. It was a long night in Mullingar for 14 of the 27 Midlands-north-west MEP hopefuls who sat, squashed together and red-faced, at the top table in a packed suite at the Bloomfield Hotel.

IFA members were out in full force as were political big hitters including bookies favourites Barry Cowen, Nina Carberry, Michelle Gildernew, Peadar Tóibín and Ciaran Mullooly.

Thirteen of the 14 told of their gold-plated farmer roots: independent candidate and former journalist John Waters never once mentioned farming.

During his opening remarks, he used the word “existential” six times. He drifted from topics including “Bill Gates hoarding land in America” to catastrophising that we “will all end up eating bug sandwiches”.

It was a good night for some but definitely not for others.

First up was Niall Blaney of Fianna Fáil, who bargained on winning a few votes by taking pops at his rivals. Ireland was sending too many Independent candidates to Europe, he said.

He also mocked another candidate who misspoken on a Galway Bay FM interview weeks before.

Sitting right beside Ms Carberry, he said straight to her face as he handed her the mic, “We need to stop sending celebrities to Europe”. “He is rude,” said the woman beside me.

Looking uncomfortable, the champion jockey and Fine Gael candidate kept her opening remarks brief. She was the only candidate to come in under the allotted 60 seconds. Somewhat faltering, she said twice, “I want to be a strong voice in Europe.”

Mr Cowen was short but punchy, telling the farmers his “door is open” to them whether that’s in “Tullamore, Strasbourg or Brussels”.

It was a good thing Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew introduced herself because a man in front of me didn’t appear to know who she was. Ms Gildernew is political royalty in Sinn Féin terms, but outside her party her many achievements wouldn’t be little known in the constituency where she is fighting for a seat.

She was Minister for Agriculture in the Stormont Assembly when foot and mouth broke out.

“I have also been someone who has had to implement fortress Ireland within weeks of becoming Agriculture Minister. I had to keep foot and mouth out of England,” she said, quickly correcting herself, “Out of Ireland.”

Senator Pauline O’reilly, of the Green Party, was again sitting beside her nemesis from the previous week’s debate — James Reynolds of the National Party. He scowled and she had her nose in the air facing away from him.

“Agriculture and the environment are completely entwined,” she said. “One cannot be separated from the other. That has always been the way it is and it is still the way it is.”

Mr Reynolds took the mic. A burst of lone clapping rang out before he even started speaking. He had to have the mic almost prised out of his grip as he robustly rejected Ms O’reilly’s sentiments.

It was a good night for Mr Tóibín of Aontú — until he told the crowd he also intends to run in the general election, even if he wins a seat in Europe.

Mr Waters then told everyone he didn’t want to be a politician.

The candidates were then quizzed by the moderator on the IFA manifesto, specifically the CAP budget.

Mr Cowen began sounding forth and within 30 seconds was told, “Stick with the budget now Barry.”

Mr Tóibín gave a long-winded answer that the moderator helpfully summarised as “more money”.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and other parties have allowed the fishing industry to be gutted,” he said

Ms Carberry was next. It was brutal, even agonising as she was asked a three-part question, “We have heard some candidates already opposed to enlargement. Do you agree with enlargement? Would you agree with it if Ukraine were accepted into the EU? And how would that be funded so Irish farmers don’t lose out?”

She responded: “I think, yeah, obviously the free trade is what we want. But obviously with a big country like Ukraine we would have to be… We would need to go into discussions. It wouldn’t happen…. It needs to have the farmers on board and make sure it’s not going to affect our CAP budget.

“And for me we need to be a strong voice there and make sure that we are heard. Em, yeah that’s the main thing — that we are heard and that we can’t have it happening overnight. It has to be over a long period of time. And we have to be strong about it.”

Mr Reynolds received what was only the second clap of the night when he said: “None of the other candidates spelled this out but I will spell this out: the green agenda measures have to be gotten rid of. Gotten rid of completely.”

Things were heating up. But then Mr Waters was asked the same budget question.

“With respect I think it’s the wrong question,” he replied. “I think we need to go upstream of these questions and look at what is actually happening. There are famines erupting all over the world because of…”

The moderator had had enough: “OK, OK. But the farmers here are being asked to produce less food is that the right thing to do?”

Mr Waters began: “Let’s go after the chemical industry in Ireland who have been poisoning our…”

The moderator again intervened: “Now come on. Stick to the budget.”

Raising his voice and widening his eyes, Mr Waters cried, “No. This is a point — you can’t talk about the budget out of context; you have to look at the ideological context within all this is happening.”

Shaking his head and sighing, the moderator opened up the questions to the floor.

A question on farm succession was a stumbling block for several of the candidates.

The moderator emphasised he was looking for “policy and detail” on succession only from the candidate.

Hermann Kelly, of the Irish Freedom Party, was first and proceeded to speak about climate. He was stopped abruptly.

“Have you a detailed policy on succession and how we encourage young people into farming?

I’m asking for details,” clipped the moderator.

“Well I’m not going to make one here on the hoof,” said Mr Kelly.

The moderator replied; “OK I’ll pass on it.” Mr Mullooly, the Independent Ireland candidate and former RTÉ correspondent, seized the mic. His voice booming he said; “It’s very simple really: organise a new farm retirement scheme that doesn’t penalise somebody for handing over the land.

“€8bn of a government surplus — why is agriculture not getting its fair share of this?

“Why is it that Green policies are top of the agenda when it comes to using the €8bn surplus? Why do we need another DART line or a metro to the airport? “Why can’t we give it to farmers?” And the crowd went wild.

Senator O’reilly of the Greens was up next and said: “The reason I came back here tonight is because I was at last week’s one as well. What I am hearing around me is either crackpot climate denial or greenwashing.”

A low groan from the crowd didn’t deter her. “I am proud of the fact since the Greens went into government, we do have one new rural bus service a week. We do have…” “Succession, Pauline,” said the moderator. “I, I just want to make a…” she began.

“No Pauline, we have gone from the environment to a bus service, I want to know your succession policy,” said the moderator.

“The irony is it was the Greens who put more money in people’s pockets than any of the previous Governments,” she replied.

Ms O’reilly lost the room. Mr Reynolds came out swinging.

“The type of inheritance tax, Capital Acquisitions Tax in this country would make Karl Marx and the communist left representative beside me here very proud,” he said.

“I have to take issue with the Green representative again trying to scapegoat farmers in relation to pollution. She did it last week in Claremorris too.” Ms O’reilly protested, saying,

“I’m just being honest.”

“The Green agenda will strangle the economy and bring us back to the Stone Age,” said Mr Reynolds.