Over 4k Farmers and Fishermen on Jobseekers- Sen O'Reilly

According to data released to Aontú, some 4,235 individuals working in forestry, fishing and agriculture have moved to jobseekers' allowance / job seekers' benefit since 2016.

Aontú's Senator Sarah O'Reilly, who sits on the Oireachtas Joint Fishing Committee, though says the figure is an underestimate of the numbers leaving the sector.

Speaking today, Senator O'Reilly said: "It is sad to think that thousands of farmers and fishermen have been made unemployed over the past number of years. For many this was not just a source of income, but a way of life - an occupation handed down from grandparent to parent to child over the years. Government policies have been incredibly anti-farmer and anti-rural over the last few years, with threats to cull the herd, the Mercosur trade deal and carbon taxes creating huge worry on farms across the country".

"Oftentimes the money offered to farmers if they sign up to certain schemes is not worth it - and involves the farmer having to give near total control of their farm over to the department. The delayed ACRES payments, the codology that is 'rewetting' the bogs, all pose a huge threat to the farmer and to his or her ability to make any profit. All our young people are gone to Australia or Canada, and farms are being abandoned, planted or sold".

"Irish agriculture is phenomenal - our produce is second to none on many fronts. We need to save the industry. There needs to be more financial support put in place - less red tape, rigmarole and bureaucracy. The government needs to stop treating farmers like second class citizens, they need to recognise that farmers are some of the most decent and astute businessmen and women in the country, but government policies particularly around the environment, TB, taxation and issues like that are driving them into debt", concluded Senator O'Reilly.