Kelly rejects IFAs claims that yes vote is good for rural Ireland

Cllr Anthony Kelly has said he is extremely disappointed with the decision of the Executive Council of the Irish Farmers Association to call on their 90,000 members to vote yes in the upcoming fiscal compact referendum. The Sinn Féin councillor said he rejected the IFAs leadership’s claims that a yes vote would be in the best interests of the rural economy. Cllr Kelly also said that figures clearly show that it is the EU that has benefitted more from Irelands membership, not the other way around.

“I’m extremely disappointed in the IFA’s decision to campaign for a yes vote in the upcoming fiscal compact referendum,” Cllr Kelly said, “I don’t see how they can tell their 90,000 members to vote yes to a treaty that will institutionalise austerity in this nation and draw us into a devastating poverty cycle that might take decades to escape.” “

“I recognise that Ireland’s farmers have traditionally supported the Europe Union and the Common Agriculture Policy, but it has to be pointed out to them that a no vote in the coming referendum will not impact on the CAP or our membership to the EU. This treaty is not about our EU membership, it’s about strong Euro nations like Germany seeking to impose financial and political influence over periphery nations like Ireland.”

“The IFA will point out the benefits that Ireland has received from EU membership. Sinn Féin recognises that Ireland did benefit from being part of the European community and we accept that our place is in Europe, but we will not support a treaty that aims to introduce permanent austerity on the people of Ireland.”

“Supporters of this treaty will say that Ireland received €72 billion from the EU since 1973. They won’t say that Ireland contributed €31 billion of this ourselves and they also won’t mention how we have lost €184 billion through the loss of Irish fisheries assets to the EU. In total, that means that Ireland’s net loss from being a member state of the EU is €143 billion. That is the proof that it is the European Union that has benefitted from Irelands membership to the union, not the other way around.”