Protest Underway Against Sale Of Offaly Family's Farm

Photo Credit: BRG.ie

The Irish Farmers Association is calling on the community for their support.

A protest against the sale of an Offaly family's farm by a so called vulture fund is getting underway around now. 

The Irish Farmers Association is behind the demonstration.

They claim the fund has refused an offer by the Rhode family to clear their debt in full and the land is now being sold at auction at noon today. 

Chairman of IFA's Debt Support Service, Martin Stapleton wants to get back to the negotiating table:

He continued:

"Vulture funds have no understanding of the family farm. Their only objective is to get as much money as they can as quickly as they can. They are not willing to allow a reasonable amount of time for farmers to repay their debts. They just want to cash in," he said.

"It is not acceptable for vulture funds to force the sale of land that has come as security with a debt bought from a bank when there is a viable alternative."

Martin Stapleton asks the farming community to stand together in solidarity with the Conway family in opposing the sale of the property.

"The Conway family put forward a credible proposal to make structured repayments.

The vulture fund has refused the offer from the Conway family to pay the debt in full. This is completely unacceptable to IFA."

"IFA will stand firmly behind farmers who are committed to agreeing and implementing a credible solution to settle their debts,"

IFA Farm Business Chairperson Rose Mary McDonagh said there is an inextricable link between farm businesses and family homes passed down through generations of farm families.

"On the back of the strong offer made by the Conway family to repay this debt, IFA cannot stand by and allow this forced sale," .

"The fund and the auction house should halt the sale immediately and re-engage with the IFA and the Conway family," 

 

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