Coveney earns very high ratings

Satisfaction with Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney is extremely high among farmers, despite support for Fine Gael falling substantially since the last general election.

The Irish Examiner/ICMSA survey found Mr Coveney is held in far higher esteem by farmers than his opposite number in Fianna Fáil, Eamon Ó Cuiv, and in Sinn Féin, Martin Ferris.

When asked about Mr Coveney’s performance as agriculture minister, 53% of farmers said they believed he was doing a good or excellent job in the position, against 29% for Mr Ó Cuiv and a paltry 8% for Mr Ferris.