Commonage Implementation Committee to meet for first time

The first meeting of the new Commonage Implementation Committee takes place later.

The Minister for Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has said the committee will play a key role in assisting commonage owners as they make the transition to a new Common Agricultural Policy.

It is chaired by Joe Healy, a former president of Macra na Feirme and a livestock farmer from Galway.

Two Department of Agriculture officials are also on the committee along with two technical experts - one from Teagasc and one from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.