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The IFA will fully resist the threat of jailing genuine farmers for protesting outside factories, its president Joe Healy has said.
“While these are not IFA protests, we are completely and utterly opposed to any attempt to bring farmers before the courts and to threaten them with prison,” he said on Friday morning, ahead of a High Court hearing over recent farmer protests.
“The IFA has provided advice to a number of farmers in recent days and our legal team will be in court today,” he said.
“I want to make it clear that IFA will provide legal support to any member who is threatened with a court action or jail for protesting outside factories.”
“This issue needs to be resolved, but it will not be solved by bringing farmers before the courts. This will only serve to make matters worse,” he added.
48-hour stay
On Wednesday, the IFA was in the High Court to oppose the attachment and committal order sought by Dawn Meats.
Joe Healy said that the IFA had instructed its legal team to fully oppose the application to allow time to see if a resolution can be found.
In court, the IFA’s barrister Patricia Hill requested a stay of 48 hours on any order the court might make.
Pressurised
She said the IFA was very concerned at the latest developments and that the situation was now very pressurised.
“Farmers have been brought to the gates by the Beef Plan Movement – which has now stepped back,” she said.
“[The] IFA has now been asked by farmers to get involved.”
The IFA wanted a stay to see if it could engage with both sides, she said. It wanted to seek a solution rather than see the situation further inflamed.
Justice Senan Allen said his court could not hear the IFA’s interjection, but he noted that he could contemplate the same matters himself.
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