Fianna Fáil should have never done business with the Greens - Cotter
Nelius Cotter, a Fianna Fáil candidate for the Mitchelstown/ Fermoy Local Electoral Area, has this week criticised Fianna Fáil for ever entering into a power-sharing agreement with the Green Party at the inception of the current coalition.
“It was a mistake to enter government with the Greens, who are more interested in cycle lanes and greenways than common sense policies that are workable at ground level. Farmers are willing to play their part but aren’t willing to be the sacrificial lamb on the altar of the Greens”.
Pointing to poor and deteriorating road conditions, Mr Cotter went on to allege that members of the Green Party have ‘too much’ influence on agricultural policy in the Government and that the environmental part is ideologically driven, rather than on practical workable policy. Saying that north Cork has enjoyed ‘enormous economic progress’ from the strength of the dairy and agri-food sector locally, that the towns of Mitchelstown and Fermoy are ‘both home to major employers, which is hard in rural towns to maintain’.
“These unpractical Green Party regulations on industries, such as dairy, have the potential to drive jobs out of north Cork, from both bodies like Teagasc in Kilworth and from families farming the land," continued Mr Cotter.
"There is an income crisis across all farming sectors. Unworkable legislation and red tape is causing enormous stress and it’s become more about paper work than farming. Rural and village roads are in dire conditions. The delaying of existing road developments and new roads by the Green Party leader is completely unacceptable and greater and increased investment in maintenance and road resurfacing at council level is badly needed".