Beyond clientelism: Agricultural networks in Ireland and the EU

Understanding the nature of relations between those responsible for policy and those affected by it, is critical to our comprehension of the policy process and by extension, the nature of government. This article presents the results of an enquiry into the role played by the three main Irish farming organisations: the Irish Farmers Association (IFA); the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) and the Irish Cooperative Society (ICOS). The work is useful in two respects. First, on a practical level, it details the extent and efficacy of farming interest groups' ability to influence policy. It also demonstrates how Irish membership of the European Community, rather than challenging the influence of these groups, has in fact further reinforced it. Second on a theoretical level, the notion of a 'policy community' is advanced as the most appropriate interpretation of relations between the state and farming interests. This represents a shift away from traditionally held views of Irish politics which lay heavy emphasis on the incidence of clientelism.