Proposals that come forward in Brussels are absolutely and fundamentally devoid of any logic, IFA director Damian McDonald told Wexford farmers on Monday night.

Acknowledging that regulation and paperwork are causing frustration among farmers, he pointed out that it could be worse, were farmer organisations not pushing back against the European Commission.

“The officials in Brussels, and the Greens in Ireland, have got further and further away from the farm,” he said.

McDonald said there is now a realisation around Europe that they may have gone too far.

In a wide-ranging address to the Wexford IFA AGM, McDonald also warned farmers that the valuation office is increasingly applying rates on farm buildings where farmers are carrying out new and alternative enterprises.

Huge problem

“If we were to get to a situation where commercial rates were applied to farming activity, that would be a huge problem,” he said.

“The definition the valuation office is taking as to what constitutes a farm building is creeping all the time. The definition of farming activity is broad, we’re all encouraged to diversify into different things, but we find sometimes this can draw farmers and farmyards into the net of rates on farm buildings,” he said.

McDonald said that Irish farmers should “stick their chest out” over the fact that space for nature on their farms, at an average of 12-14%, is the best in Europe “by a good bit”. We get a lot of stick, we should be getting more credit for this,” he added.