Beef was the main item on the menu at the first IFA election debate in Connacht which was held in Athenry, Co Galway, on Monday night, with candidates grilled on sucklers, the €100m BEAM scheme and protests.

A farmer from the floor asked if there should be a suckler cow scrappage scheme and if there should be stock reduction.

Deputy candidate Brian Rushe said he was not in favour of a “total wipe-out” scrappage scheme. “I am not willing to see the suckler cow go and I’m absolutely bloody not willing to let it be replaced with forestry. That’s a fact now and I won’t lie down on it.”

His rival Thomas Cooney said: “That is a red line for me because the suckler cow is part of the west of Ireland and the part of Ireland where I come from. The suckler herd cannot be sacrificed for the dairy herd.”

On dairy bull calves, both candidates touted new markets as a solution to the issue.

In response to a question from the floor on the IFA’s “deafening” silence around the protests, Angus Woods said it would have been wrong for him to know exactly what the price of beef was around Europe and to disregard that information and bring farmers to the gates, knowing a price rise was not attainable at the time.

Tim Cullinan said that the factories have been using Brexit as an excuse and it has cost farmers millions. “What factories are doing at the moment is, they’re not putting one single animal into their own feedlots. They’re pushing back the kill, because in case it does happen they want to leave all the cattle with the farmer and let the farmer carry the can.”

On the €21m left behind in the €100m Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM), John Coughlan said there should be no money unspent. “The Government pulled a fast one. We secured €50m from Brussels and €50m from Government.

“Our Government were happy if they got away with putting €29m into it and not €50m,” he said.