ICSA Presidential Election to take place

The contest to become the next national president of ICSA has begun with two candidates in the running following the conclusion of the formal nomination process.

The election will take place in the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise on the evening of Wednesday, December 14.

The candidates include Sean McNamara, from Lismacaffrey in Co Westmeath, on the border with Longford and near to Finea. Mr McNamara is a progressive sheep, beef, and suckler farmer with an enterprise comprising of approximately 40 sucklers, 80 yearlings, 30 replacement heifers and 800 ewes- mostly crossbreds and mountain breeds. He is a factory agent and cattle dealer also.

Mr McNamara currently holds the position of ICSA Sheep chair, a position he has held for four years, and this is his second time attempting to secure the role of President of the Association. The first was in 2020.

Attracting youth into the ICSA is a “priority” for Mr McNamara, who says without “young blood coming through, it’s like anything and any organisation, it’ll die a death. We need young people, new ideas, fresh perspectives.”

The problems facing farmers Mr McNamara feels are pretty much universal, but core issues do differ between the younger and older generations.

“We have to accept that, and we have to listen to what they have to say. For a lot of the younger generation coming through, to buy a house they might not get a mortgage on farming alone. So they have to get a job, and balance work on the farm along with it.”

The long-term risk, says Mr McNamara, is that farming will fall further into category of “part-time hobby”.

“The main thing we need to focus on, and this is every organisation, body or group, is making it so people can make a viable living out of farming. That is key, and it starts with putting a stop to producing food under the cost of production.”

Asked whether he agreed with the approach taken earlier this year by some farmers who staged blockades outside supermarkets, Mr McNamara is of two minds. His first reaction however is always to exhaust the process of discussion before ramping-up the severity of any planned protest. “Sitting down and negotiate the problem, try and get a deal done, that’s what I feel. It’s the only way forward. The last thing I’d do is stage protests, but I understand why they did it if all chance of talks is off the table.”

Mr McNamara notes that the state of Irish farming, and the future direction of the industry, is of concern to the many people he’s talked to already along the election trail.

“We’re losing a lot of our sucker herd, and if we do that we lose our good beef status. We can’t let that happen. We need to do more to protect that. The cost of everything in farming has gone serious at the minute, totally out of hand. Everyone else is getting a good living out of farming, everyone except the farmer.”

Sean’s rival for the position is Dermot Kelleher from Co Cork.

Mr Kelleher is a suckler farmer and is the current national president of ICSA. He is aiming to continue his tenure for another two years.

Mr Kelleher previously served as chair of ICSA’s Suckler committee and as ICSA Munster Vice President.

Proceedings on the night will begin at 7pm.

Each candidate will make a presentation to the association’s National Executive, which will be followed by a question and answer session with the candidates.

The vote will follow, with a result expected at 9pm.

The ICSA represents the interests of drystock and sheep farmers throughout every county in Ireland, with the national office located in Portlaoise.