Irish society has been accused of acting with "shocking indifference" to the prospect of thousands of dairy farmers being forced to quit farming as a result of Dr Franz Fischler's reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Mr Pat McAuliffe, chairman of the Farm Relief Services, said if the situation facing dairy farmers was replicated in any other sector of the economy, the Government would be establishing task forces and the public concern would be enormous. "Instead positive response to possible food price cuts is masking the real damage which will be caused to one of the most important sectors of the Irish economy with resulting fallout for thousands more jobs in agri-related industries," he told the annual general meeting of the National Co-Operative Farm Relief Services Ltd in Nenagh.
Mr McAuliffe said the muted reaction to the fact that 10,000 dairy farmers are expected to "go to the wall" as a result of the proposed reforms and the further dramatic decline predicted in incomes in other farm sectors, indicated shocking indifference to the fate of Irish farmers and their families.
"In 2003 farmers are still being paid for their milk at 1989 prices, while the consumer is paying 2003 prices with a massive 40 per cent margin going to supermarkets," according to Mr McAuliffe.
"In no other sector of the Irish economy would such a situation be allowed nor would the resulting job losses be contemplated," he added.
"With unemployment in the general economy beginning to show returns to pre-Celtic Tiger levels the question must be asked: how will the economy absorb the looming job losses in agriculture?"
Currently it is estimated that for every farmer directly employed in agriculture there are six people involved in agriculture-related businesses. Mr McAuliffe said it was widely accepted that as a result of the current Fischler plans for CAP reforms some 10,000 dairy farmers alone will be forced to leave farming with the knock-on effects undermining up to 60,000 more jobs.
He said that while the immediate impact will be less on non-dairy sectors, the long-term result would be a sustained decline of employment in the entire agricultural industry.
"Although agriculture makes a massive contribution to the national economy in Ireland, the looming job losses in the sector are being met with indifference by the Government and are almost passing unnoticed by the general public who have been spun the line by politicians that the consumer will benefit through cheaper food," he said.
Yesterday, the Department of Agriculture and Food published notices in national newspapers seeking written submissions from the public on the implementation of the decoupling element of CAP reform.
Under the terms of the new agreement, states may opt to fully break the link between direct payments to farmers and the food they produce or to introduce a system of partially decoupling some schemes and not others. The notice said the Minister, Mr Walsh, had decided to institute a consultation process to have the widest possible range of views available before he makes a decision on which form of decoupling should be implemented.
Sinn Féin yesterday welcomed the announcement by the Minister and said it would be presenting a detailed submission on the issues involved.
It called on the British and Irish governments to conduct a joint approach to the implementation of CAP and urged the department of agriculture and rural development in Northern Ireland to initiate consultations similar to those in the Republic.