The general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association has announced he’s to run for Ireland South in the European Elections.
Eddie Punch is the latest to declare and will run as an Independent candidate (Kilkenny woman Kathleen Funchion and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú from Carlow are also in the mix).
Mr Punch has given notice to ICSA that he will step down from his role after 25 years with a view to winning a seat.
He says; “Never before has the farming community needed strong, committed and knowledgeable representation more than now. I have years of experience lobbying for farmers in Brussels and I have negotiated with every EU Farm Commissioner since Franz Fischler in 2003. Now I want to put that experience to use for the constituents of Ireland South.
“This is not just about farmers; this is about all of the people whose lives and economic well-being is linked to the success of our agri-food sector. This is about the choice of European consumers to have high quality nutrition delivered by the family farm model. This is about Ireland’s vital national interests of which our farming sector is a key component.
Mr Punch insisted that his campaign will not be solely around food and agriculture. “I believe passionately that our country needs to be successful in every county and that balanced regional development is more critical than ever before. Instead of Dublin airport expanding I want to see the right balance between Dublin and the regions and I want to see more access for Shannon, Cork and Farranfore airports. This is critical for tourism, for investment, for the development of the cities of Limerick, Cork and Waterford as a balance to Dublin which is becoming unliveable for many citizens due to housing costs and congestion.”
And he added that he was also very passionate about mental health and disability issues, noting; “I want to see the EU Disability Strategy 2021-2030 implemented and strengthened. I want to see the EU Parliament take the issue of helping people to live to their fullest potential as a key mission. I equally want to see the escalating problem of mental health put centre stage and I want all new policy initiatives and regulations to be seen against the prism of potential stress caused to people on the ground,” he said.
“I have seen first-hand the pressure that farmers and small businesses are being put under, by more and more red tape and regulation. I believe that the EU institutions have lost touch with the impact of their grandiose plans on the people on the ground who are expected to implement them.
“I believe that the way forward must be for the EU to slow down and listen and respect the ordinary people on the ground and understand why they are so frustrated,” the independent candidate maintained.
“The Nitrates Directive, the Habitats Directive, the Nature Restoration Law are but three examples of why our farmers are at breaking point. Our farmers and our small businesses are being asked to run faster just to stand still and yet we have top people in the Commission who expect them to deliver with no additional funds. As if this wasn’t enough, the EU then expects EU farmers to compete with imports under deals like the Mercosur agreement which is not a level playing field,” he said.
“I will guarantee that, if elected, my focus will be on Ireland’s vital interests and that I will always stand up for the interests of our farmers, our fishers, our small businesses and for balanced regional development right across the island.”
