New minister hits ground running

THE new Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith, will hit the ground running as his French counterpart Michel Barnier flies into Dublin today for key strategy talks on the world trade deal now being negotiated in Geneva.

France, Ireland and Germany are leading a campaign within the Council of Ministers to protect European agriculture from the proposals.

The trade talks, and the health check being conducted by the European Commission on the Common Agricultural Policy, will be the main immediate challenges facing Mr Smith, who is a former minister of state for food and horticulture.

He succeeds Mary Coughlan, who has been appointed to the key positions of Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Ireland East Fine Gael MEP, Mairead McGuinness, has called on Ministers Coughlan, Smith and Micheál Martin to convene an urgent meeting on the world trade talks.

She said this is needed to put the facts on the table, defend Irish interests and, if necessary, sanction Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, the EU’s lead negotiator.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the IFA Executive Council in Dublin yesterday unanimously endorsed its campaign on the global trade proposals.

The IFA campaign continues next week with a series of regional meetings with European Parliament members.