Watch: 'No spuds left for any of us' if Donegal farmers don't get help

15 days ago

Donegal Live

Councillor Michael McClafferty issued an impassioned plea over planning issues on the N56, farmers and homeowners with defective blocks.

The Falcarragh-based Independent was elected on the first count in the Glenties electoral area after seeing his first preferences almost double from his 2019 vote.

Councillor McClafferty took 1,885 votes, inching past the 1,883 quota on the first go.

He insists that the national policy which restricts planning along the N56 is haemorrhaging Donegal's young population.

“We need to get the TDs in Dublin to listen: We need planning on the N56,” Councillor McClafferty told Donegal Live.

“Donegal is hammered for planning. We can't get access onto the N56. There are many young families in Donegal who have farms of land, but those people are in Australia, America, Canada, Hong Kong even, from around the Falcarragh and Glenties areas.

“They have moved away because they know that they won't get planning onto the main road. That is crazy.

“If the government of the day want to change things; we are in a housing crisis and I can't see any more solutions that would help than giving people planning for their land, their farms.

“When they stopped doing that, it was Fine Gael under Leo Varadkar that took it in and I am going to keep fighting to change that. I hope that I will achieve that and will get people home again.

“I have had mothers and fathers on the phone to me sobbing, leaving a son or a daughter to Dublin to get a plane. That is a very sad place to be.

“That is what we as councillors are faced with. There is all this stuff behind the scenes that people don't know about or don't talk about. Until the government realise this and let the people onto the N56, that won't change.”

Councillor McClafferty believes that farmers in rural Donegal are being 'neglected' by current government policies.

He said: “They are the backbone of the area and the backbone of the whole country. Eamon Ryan and these boys are pushing to get rid of them.

“The farmers of west Donegal are doing their best. Wait until we get to the back end when there is no spuds left for any of us.

“People will know then about the farmers; when there are no vegetables left for us. That is the reality. Look today at the rain battering the smoke out of the ground and we get silage done, we can't get spuds planted or vegetables planted.

“This is all going to have a knock-on effect. This will hit everybody in the pocket.”

One of the biggest talking points from this weekend will be the showing from the 100% Redress Party, who will have at least three candidates elected.

Councillor McClafferty says he will work closely with those councillors in a bid to get 100% redress for affected homeowners across Donegal.

He said: “Why are our TDs not up in Dublin roaring and shouting and lifting the roof off the place for the redress, for the farmers of west Donegal and particularly for the people on the N56 who can't get planning?

“This all needs to stop. There is no point sending an old watery email back to me saying there isn't much that can be done because it's policy. I'm not interested in what it is. I only want solutions.”

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