Boel faces test for EU farm post
A month ago Walsh looked like a front-runner for the position of EU Commissioner in charge of agriculture.
But when Charlie McCreevy was named to take up Ireland's seat in the EU's executive body, the 61-year-old Agriculture Minister helped to clear the way for an imminent cabinet re-shuffle by announcing his retirement.
Meanwhile, Mariann Fischer Boel of Denmark was announced as the EU Agriculture Commissioner.
But her business affairs are now being investigated by the legal advisers of the Commission, following allegations of a possible conflict of interests between her new job in Brussels and her ownership of a 500 acre farm in Denmark which draws €60,000 in EU payments.
European Commissioners are in general not allowed to run any business or to have other professional occupations or interests while in office in Brussels.
The Nice Treaty states that they "may not, during their term of office, engage in any other occupation, whether gainful or not", and that they are chosen for "independence beyond doubt".
Fischer Boel could have a personal financial interest in EU agricultural budget decisions for which she will responsible.
But Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen and Commission President Barroso have backed Fischer Boel, whose husband ran the family farm while she served as Danish Minister for Agriculture and Food.
The EU authorities have until November 1, when new European Commissioners take office, to clear the Dane for the agriculture job.
A lot done, more to do: Joe Walsh's 17 years in the Department of Agriculture assessed on page 5.
