IFA says Micheál Martin to appoint new Minister for Agriculture next week
The Irish Farmer's Association (IFA) has said that Taoiseach Micheál Martin will appoint a new Minister for Agriculture next week.
Yesterday evening the IFA president Tim Cullinan and direct general Damien McDonald met with the Taoiseach to discuss the importance of the portfolio due to ongoing Brexit trade talks between the European Union and Britain.
The IFA said the meeting also dealt with the October budget and the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding agreements.
“We sought the meeting with the Taoiseach following the resignation of the Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary,” Mr Cullinan said.
“We are very concerned about the disruption caused by the loss of two Ministers for Agriculture since the new Government was formed, and reports that a new Minister would not be appointed for three weeks.
“We emphasised the importance of having a Minister in place to represent farmers on crucial issues such as CAP, Brexit and the national Budget in October,” he said.
Dara Calleary resigned last week after the Irish Examiner revealed he attended the Oireachtas golf society dinner in Cliffden Co Galway. Over 80 people attended the event in breach of public guidelines published the same week.
Mr Calleary was the second minister to leave this portfolio after Barry Cowen was dismissed by the Taoiseach from the position due to a drink-driving incident.
The IFA President in a statement described the prospects of a trade deal from the ongoing talks between the EU and Britain as "looking very bleak" and emphasised the current importance of the trade portfolio as Ireland has the most to lose over a bad trade outcome with €4bn worth of food exports to Britain at risk.
“In this context, we made the point to the Taoiseach that the Trade portfolio in the EU Commission is particularly important to Ireland,” Mr Cullinane said.
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