The decision by Mr John Ellis TD to resign as chairman of the Oireachtas agriculture committee will do little to ease the anger of farmers in the north-west who are still bitter about the debts unpaid by Stanlow Trading Ltd, the company set up by the Sligo-Leitrim TD and his two brothers.
The Irish Farmers' Association has drawn up a list of more than 80 farmers who at the time of the company's collapse were owed amounts ranging from £200 to £20,000. A total of some £300,000 was owed. All but one of those farmers are from outside Mr Ellis' constituency, leading to a belief that the company was being selective about which debts were paid.
Some of these people suffered considerable hardship, and farmers were in agreement yesterday that getting the debts repaid was more important than his resignation. Mr Sean Clarke, the IFA chairman in Co Mayo, said he believed the focus should be on getting the farmers' money back.
"A whole variety of different people got caught. In some cases the cattle sold were the total stock the farmer had for sale that year. He [Mr Ellis] knows about agriculture and would have known the damage that would have been done to people," he said.
Mr Clarke said a number of people on small farms, including widows who had no other way of making an income, were particularly affected. A neighbour of his was never paid for eight cattle, his entire sale of stock for the year, and only survived by getting a job off the farm. A woman, recently widowed with five small children, was never paid for the five head of cattle she sold.
Mr Michael Spelman, a farmer from Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, who was owed more than £3,500 for 11 cattle when the factory closed, welcomed the resignation.
"We were very annoyed that he ever got to hold any political position at all. Everyone was very sour . . ."
The years 1985 and 1986, Mr Spelman said, were very bad years in the west, when there were shortages of hay and silage. "We had to buy in fodder, which meant borrowing money, and people were relying on payments from the factories to pay off those debts. Then the cheques bounced. There is no farmer that could afford that," he added.
Another farmer who feels strongly that Mr Ellis should have to pay all the debts in full is Mr Joe Walsh of Knockmore, Ballina, Co Mayo, who, in addition to being owed £6,748, was also forced to pay £2,701 to Mr Ellis in legal costs after a case he took against the TD failed in the Circuit Court.
"He pursued me for his full costs of £2,701 and refused to take anything less. He wouldn't settle for £2,500 or £2,000, so I don't think he should be allowed to make any kind of a part-payment now."
Mr Walsh said he believed it was "a disgrace" that Mr Ellis had ever been allowed to hold the position of chairman of the Oireachtas agriculture committee, given what had happened.
A meeting of the creditors is to be held in Boyle, Co Roscommon, on Friday night. Mr Ellis and his two brothers, Caillian and Richard, have been invited.