This article is from page 13 of the 2011-02-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
FARMERS may not hold full sway over general elections as they once did, but nevertheless the agri-vote will elect or unelect countless candidates right across this island.
With roughly 8,000 farms in Clare, the county’s farmers along with their spouses and children will fill a quota for someone come election day.
While much of the power in Irish agriculture has been farmed-out from Dublin to Brussels in recent decades, there are still a number of local farming issues which will give candidates plenty to debate on at the doorsteps of Clare farm houses in the coming weeks.
The Green Party scored a sensational own goal in their handling of the climate change bill. As the last flickers of the coalition were dying out, the Greens were setting themselves alight in the eyes of the farming community, while at the same time handing Fianna Fáil an open goal.
The bill itself was very close to being acceptable to many farmers – but instead of tweaking, explaining and defending their bill, the Greens allowed themselves to be painted antifarming, while Fianna Fáil got to be the knights in shining armor.
That said, Clare Fianna Fáil has presided over the devastation of farm services in the county over the last three years. With much fewer local Teagasc offices, it is still unclear what way the farmers of the only county in Munster without a Department of Agriculture Office will react on polling day.
But the devil is in the detail for most farmers. With most on paper at least, asset rich (home owners and land owners) yet cash poor, the way in which taxes, reliefs and benefits are calculated will made a difference.
A family on a valuable 200 acre farm may be still be unable to afford to send their children to college, de- spite the value of his assets.
Finally, as more farmers begin to reinvent themselves as small business owners, whether in the green economy or selling finished products such as home made cheese or ice-cream instead of milk, many of them will be keen to see which party makes business easier for the small and medium industry sector.