Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The IFA is not the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and does not represent contractors. They might not want this. The IFA is a very powerful lobby group, which I support - it lobbied this week. I am referring to a specific national organisation representing hundreds of contractors who are registered, pay their taxes and employ people. We could not deliver our agri-industry without them. They are a vital cog in the wheel. The IFA does not want to know about them. We had issues with the IFA. It wants complete control. This matter is nothing to do with the IFA. Farm contractors have a separate, established, registered and recognised organisation in Ireland. The machinery costs an enormous amount of money. I appreciate that the Minister said the IFA did not recommend tax measures. We need specific incentives to help farm contractors. The IFA controls a lot, but it does not control everything.

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