Farmers would be neglected and vulnerable under a Sinn Féin government – Ahearn

Farmers across Ireland would be in a vulnerable position under a Sinn Féin government, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Tipperary Senator Garret Ahearn said, “We don’t have to look back very far to find holes in what Deputy Mary Lou McDonald said this week in relation to how farmers would fare under a Sinn Féin government.

“Sinn Féin sit on the side-lines and avoid developing a concrete policy approach when it comes to our farmers. We’ve seen this over the summer when they were completely silent throughout the sectoral emissions ceilings agreement. They also refused to set a target for national herd cut.”

Senator Ahearn continued, “Fine Gael is dedicated to putting money back in people’s pockets and ensuring farmers can keep most of what they earn.

“As a party, we introduced the Earned Income Tax Credit which and increased it to equal the PAYE tax credit. Contrary to what Sinn Féin say, this tax treatment helps us reach equality for farmers.

“We’ve been investing in renewable energy, better and cheaper public transport and all the infrastructure that makes it easier for people to make the more sustainable choice. Farmers are a crucial part of this progress.

“Climate change is one of the single biggest issues we face across the world. We’ve been listening to how our farmers face this challenge and consulting with them every step of the way”, concluded Senator Ahearn.