Farmer secures injunction preventing removal from farm group

A farmer has secured a temporary High Court injunction preventing the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) from taking steps that he claims would effectively remove him as its treasurer.

The High Court heard that the ICSA had last March removed James Reynolds from his position as a member of the executive of its Longford branch and as a result from his position as national treasurer due to his alleged links to an anti-mass immigration political party known as the National Party.

Barrister Kamal Vaid, for Mr Reynolds, told the High Court that his client has appealed that decision and an appeal is due to be heard on Wednesday.

He said Mr Reynolds was now seeking an injunction restraining the management of the ICSA from removing him from his position.

Counsel said his client was not a paid employee of the association but feared that his reputation would be damaged if he were removed from the executive committee.

Adequate notice

The court heard that the association had allegedly failed to follow its own procedures and had failed to allow Mr Reynolds adequate notice of its purported decision to dismiss him.

Mr Justice Robert Haughton granted Mr Reynolds an interim injunction restraining the ICSA from acting on his purported dismissal and from holding any meeting related to his purported dismissal until the case returned before the court during the new law term.

The injunction was granted on an ex-parte basis where only one side was represented in court.

It was previously reported that the association, which represents mainly dry stock farmers and has a membership of about 10,000 nationwide, held a special meeting last November to discuss the involvement of Mr Reynolds in the National Party, an anti-mass immigration and anti-abortion political party founded by Justin Barrett.