Filling Mary Coughlan’s shoes

AGRICULTURE certainly is not the worst senior ministry Brendan Smith could have started with.

Unfortunately, he begins the job on the back foot, trying to persuade farmers that they have nothing to fear from world trade talks, and that they shouldn’t express their fears by voting No to the Lisbon Treaty.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen told the Dáil his immediate task is to ensure ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. But it looks like ministers around the world will still be trying to agree a framework trade deal on agriculture, as we go to the polls in the referendum.