Mayo farmer brings general election candidates to 15
The founder of The Rural Ireland Organisation Gerry Loftus has declared he will be a candidate in the up and coming general election.
Mr. Loftus, who hails from Lahardane, stated: “It is extremely concerning that we have virtually full employment and yet very few people seem to be able to make ends meet.
"We have crisis after crisisin health, we have thousands on waiting lists, people on trolleys day after day.
"This is a result of the disastrous decision by Micheal Martin and Fianna Fail in 2004 to rid the country of its health boards and form a corporate quango in the HSE, an out of control monster with nobody accountable. The cost of the children's hospital proves that beyond any doubt.”
Mr. Loftus lashed out at the government’s record on housing and homelessness saying: “All sorts of figures are being tossed about on housing and it now looks like we built less houses this year than we did last while so many young people will never own their own home.
"We have over 14,700 adults in emergency accommodation and the absolute scandal of having 4500 children homeless in our society.
“In education the situation is bleak with 951 teaching positions left unfilled. All this going on while we squander tax payers money on a children’s hospital built by the private sector, bike shelters, phone pouches, the list is endless because those two parties are far too long in government.
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have enabled the corporate takeover of our society. Everything is geared to ridding the country of the smaller stakeholder and allowing working people to be exploited.
"Vulture Funds are buying entire housing estates, Endless super stores in our Rural towns closing down our small shops. Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael have proven many times that they have no interest in maintaining our rural communities.
"They failed to protect small business in the recent budget by not reducing VAT from 13% to 9%. This is at a time when restaurants, pubs, small shops, cafes are closing by the hour and nothing from this government.
“In terms of agriculture, we are losing 1400 small to medium sized family farms per year, 33% of our farmers are over 65, many with no successor.
"The decision by Fianna Fáil in 2008 and supported by Fine Gael to go down the road of an industrialised Dairy model of Irish Agriculture is in no doubt a massive failure.
"The government document called Pathways for Growth laid out the basis for this failed strategy. Pushing smaller farmers off the land to create massive dairy farms and plant the west of Ireland in Sitka Spruce to cover our Emissions. Needless to say that plan has failed in terms of water quality, carbon emissions, biodiversity and regional sustainability.
“The government’s failed strategy not only benefits the big agri businesses but also leaves the taxpayer on the hook for huge fines from the EU for not reaching our emissions targets.
"Presently, these fines amount to €8 Billion of taxpayers money and by 2030 the fines could be as high as €12 Billion per year.”
“Our people should now be reaping the benefits of a climate resistant natural forestry sector, instead a carbon tax has been inflicted on our people, to shift the burden onto working people for the environmental crimes of the big polluters.
"Biodiversity has been destroyed by monocultures of sitka spruce plantations which also destroy soil and water quality in the name of corporate profit. To make matters worse these monocultures are a source of carbon not a store.”
“We’ve also seen the shocking removal by a Fine Gael Government led by our own Enda Kenny of the West of Ireland from Ten-T EU funding for big infrastructure projects like roads, motorways, railways etc.
"I am calling on all members of the general public to demand from every politician that calls to your door to commit to reversing that disgraceful decision.”
“We are paying a heavy price in the west of Ireland for the policies of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. I would suggest it is past time to float the idea of a new political party to represent the BMW region.
"One that puts small farmers, workers and climate action ahead of corporate greed.
“As an independent candidate who has campaigned for many years on issues affecting rural Ireland I am asking people to consider giving me their vote so I can bring these issues into the Dáil.”