Two IFA county chairs from the Ulster north Leinster region faced off in Mullingar, Co Westmeath on Tuesday night in the first of seven hustings in the race to succeed Frank Brady as regional chair.
Louth IFA chair Kevin Sweeney spoke first, telling attendees he is a 100-cow derogation dairy farmer and turkey producer who rose through the ranks of Macra before becoming involved with the IFA.
Cavan IFA chair Maurice Brady farms sucklers and contract rears heifers.
He was followed by Cavan IFA’s Maurice Brady, first elected to the county executive at 22 years of age, who described himself a “full-time farmer with suckler cows and a contract rearing enterprise on 100ac”.
Bernie McCarthy from the Kilbeggan branch asked what the candidates would do if elected for those owed “thousands and thousands” in TB compensation top-ups with TB proving to be one of the most common of local issues raised from the floor.
Brady stated that the delays amount to a “scandal” within a wider TB programme that appears to be “just going around in circles” without denting incidence rates.
Louth IFA chair Kevin Sweeney spoke of disappointment with the association's planning of a grain protest last month while farmers were too bust planting to attend.
“The €3,000 [for commercial cattle] and the €5,000 [for pedigree cattle] limits are catching out a small number of farmers, but it’s catching them out very badly,” he said of the current valuation caps, adding that these limits must increased before new TB controls enter force.
Sweeney echoed his opponent’s comments on compensation delays representing a “scandal” and spoke of the wider TB situation being a “shambles”.
“Everyone seems to be making money out of it, except the farmer,” he said.
Chris Dolan from the Sonna branch was one of the tillage farmers who sought commitments from the candidates to work to improve the situation of farmers in the sector who have been “on the ground for a number of years”.
Both candidates pledged to take up the mantle in fighting for the IFA’s pre-Budget 2026 demand of €65m in tillage crisis supports.
Brady said that enhanced grant aid for building storage for organic manures could help reduce costs and Sweeney suggested the sector should explore “straw for manure” deals with livestock farmers more common in some areas of England as something “that works for everyone”.
The Ulster north Leinster chair holds a seat at the IFA's national council. \ Claire Nash
The Kinnegad branch’s Enda Burke put it to the candidates that the IFA has been “pussyfooting around” the imposition of minimum inclusion requirements for native Irish grain in rations in
legislation.
Mandating mills
Brady stated that he would “totally agree” with mandating mills to include “whatever percentage it is” of native grains in meal, saying that “if we go down the road of just having to import everything, the tillage men fall with the wayside and we’ll know very quick what we are paying for our feed”.
Disappointment with the association’s recent grain import protest at Greenore port was expressed by Sweeney, who said it “shouldn’t have actually happened” due to low numbers, before he added that a 15% Irish grain inclusion rate in concentrates should be pursued by the IFA.
Two IFA county chairs from the Ulster north Leinster region faced off in Mullingar, Co Westmeath on Tuesday night in the first of seven hustings in the race to succeed Frank Brady as regional chair.
Louth IFA chair Kevin Sweeney spoke first, telling attendees he is a 100-cow derogation dairy farmer and turkey producer who rose through the ranks of Macra before becoming involved with the IFA.
Cavan IFA chair Maurice Brady farms sucklers and contract rears heifers.
He was followed by Cavan IFA’s Maurice Brady, first elected to the county executive at 22 years of age, who described himself a “full-time farmer with suckler cows and a contract rearing enterprise on 100ac”.
Bernie McCarthy from the Kilbeggan branch asked what the candidates would do if elected for those owed “thousands and thousands” in TB compensation top-ups with TB proving to be one of the most common of local issues raised from the floor.
Brady stated that the delays amount to a “scandal” within a wider TB programme that appears to be “just going around in circles” without denting incidence rates.
Louth IFA chair Kevin Sweeney spoke of disappointment with the association's planning of a grain protest last month while farmers were too bust planting to attend.
“The €3,000 [for commercial cattle] and the €5,000 [for pedigree cattle] limits are catching out a small number of farmers, but it’s catching them out very badly,” he said of the current valuation caps, adding that these limits must increased before new TB controls enter force.
Sweeney echoed his opponent’s comments on compensation delays representing a “scandal” and spoke of the wider TB situation being a “shambles”.
“Everyone seems to be making money out of it, except the farmer,” he said.
Chris Dolan from the Sonna branch was one of the tillage farmers who sought commitments from the candidates to work to improve the situation of farmers in the sector who have been “on the ground for a number of years”.
Both candidates pledged to take up the mantle in fighting for the IFA’s pre-Budget 2026 demand of €65m in tillage crisis supports.
Brady said that enhanced grant aid for building storage for organic manures could help reduce costs and Sweeney suggested the sector should explore “straw for manure” deals with livestock farmers more common in some areas of England as something “that works for everyone”.
The Ulster north Leinster chair holds a seat at the IFA's national council. \ Claire Nash
The Kinnegad branch’s Enda Burke put it to the candidates that the IFA has been “pussyfooting around” the imposition of minimum inclusion requirements for native Irish grain in rations in
legislation.
Mandating mills
Brady stated that he would “totally agree” with mandating mills to include “whatever percentage it is” of native grains in meal, saying that “if we go down the road of just having to import everything, the tillage men fall with the wayside and we’ll know very quick what we are paying for our feed”.
Disappointment with the association’s recent grain import protest at Greenore port was expressed by Sweeney, who said it “shouldn’t have actually happened” due to low numbers, before he added that a 15% Irish grain inclusion rate in concentrates should be pursued by the IFA.
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