Irish farmers’ anger

Press, 13 November 1981, Page 12

Irish farmers’ anger

By

SELWYN PARKER

in Dublin

Ireland’s farmers have embarked on an officially-backed winter of discontent by refusing to pay interest on at least SNZ7O million of outstanding loans. That’s just the opening shot in a war of propaganda and protest against the Government. A number of tactics have been considered but a massive demonstration, scheduled for the end of November, will be the biggest. Surprisingly, the tactic of “deferring” repayments on

loans has come just when the farmers' chief lender, the Agricultural Credit Corporation, (A.C.C.) is trying to negotiate cheaper money for the agricultural community through the European Investment Bank. As about 300 farmers picketed the A.C.C.’s Dublin headquarters with the deputy president of the Irish Farmers’ Association, Mr Hugh Ryan, in the vanguard, they were warned of the risks. The bank's deputy chief executive, Mr John Hickey, said in a state-

ment: “They (the European Investment Bank) won’t have much time for us if this continues.” Still, all the farmers’ organisations support the "nonpayment protest” and have advised their members to join it. In other areas the Government is doing all it can to ease the farmers' lot. Banks, under Government pressure, are trying to set up tax-based loans and. for over two years, local county councils have deferred rate payments.