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The recent debate on the future of the tillage sector in the Dáil threw up an unexpected call for the return of the Land Commission. Tipperary independent TD Mattie McGrath said the problem in his county was that “a conglomerate, namely, Coolmore, is buying every bit of land”.
According to McGrath, the stud “is pricing everyone out of the market”, and that’s not just to feed their horses. “Very little of it is oats and horses do not eat wheat, as far as I know, especially thoroughbreds,” the TD said, arguing that Coolmore now had “3000, 4,000 or 5,000 acres of corn”.
“We need to have control over the acquisition of thousands of acres by a horsing conglomerate. This is also happening in Wicklow and other places.
“The small man who wants to keep going or the young farmer who has all his Green Certificates and wants to be able to expand a little to be viable gets no look in. This is reprehensible,” McGrath added.
“We need the Land Commission back or something like it.”
Mind you, the Dealer knows of no instance where Coolmore has bought land which is the subject of a vulture fund.
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