Sir, - I write this letter in defence of a minority - a minority enshrined in the culture and economic fabric of rural Ireland for hundreds of years; a minority which this week joined the dole queue without so much as a whimper. This minority has no voice, no powerful lobby and has unfortunately found itself at this time to be wearing the ceremonial horns of that most popular of rural Irish animals, the scapegoat.
What do cattle dealers do? They facilitate a market in cattle in much the same manner that estate agents facilitate a market in houses, travel agents facilitate a market in holidays, stockbrokers in shares and so forth. There are rogue dealers in cattle-dealing, as in the other professions I have mentioned. However, not all cattle dealers are rogues, no more than all stockbrokers are. Why, then, do we introduce legislation to effectively prevent cattle-dealing and put cattle-dealers and their families on the breadline? Do we do this because they are responsible for the spread of foot and mouth disease? I think not.
Let us not forget, we have not had a case of foot-and-mouth here since 1941. Perhaps the real reason for the current climate of worry and panic lies with the arrogance, apathy and patent disregard of our brethren across the sea. Perhaps it lies with a sickening lack of motivation and political will on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and the Government to tackle the meat factories and the cosy cartels that really control Irish agriculture. Perhaps the real roguery and skulduggery is international and is in fact carried on with the full backing of the factories and in front of the sleepy eyes of the Department of Agriculture.
What the new legislation will do is to destroy the confidence in the cattle markets, foot-and-mouth or no foot-and-mouth. It will pander to the ranchers and cartels who will now be able to buy the farmers' produce at a lower price and continue to twist the thumbscrew on the smaller farmer. It will create another layer of administration and Euro-babble for the Department to hide behind and lead us one step further down the road to a bland, federalist state where we will need a permit to have our breakfast and sheep will make appointments to see the vet.
A market without market-makers is a dead market. By all means get rid of the rogues, but that takes political will and bravery, not another layer of administration that will only seek to make the real rogues business more profitable.
In the meantime, all scapegoats report for disinfection. Have your papers ready. - Yours, etc.,
Robert Barrett, Bond Street, Wicklow Town.