Six changes to Tirlán’s board at next co-op AGM

Tirlán’s board has announced that it will take six new members into its fold at the co-op’s AGM on 6 May as it has six current board members due to retire.

In south Wexford, David O’Dwyer has been elected to take over from Robbie Barron, east Waterford will see Brendan Hayes succeeded by Jonathan Tighe and Donaghmore-Monasterevin’s representative Tom Phelan will retire his seat to Alan Stephenson.

North Kilkenny’s John Regan is to be replaced by Jim Mulhall, while outgoing directors Eamon McEnteggart and Denis O’Sullivan in the co-op’s northern region are to be replaced by Gerard Brady and Denis Fagan.

February milk price pledge

Tirlán's board committed in January to hold December’s milk price out to February in a bid to give suppliers certainty after successive months of price slips.

It also stated last month that the co-op would temporarily bridge the farmgate milk price cut created by Budget 2026’s reduction in the flat-rate VAT rebate.

The budget changed the VAT top-up rate from 5.1% to 4.5% in a move that would have dropped the average Tirlán supplier’s VAT-inclusive milk price by 0.21c/l had the co-op not stepped in.

Tirlán said that it will fill the VAT shortfall in February’s milk cheques too.

A base milk price of 33.95c/l ex-VAT, a 0.48c/l ex-VAT sustainability action payment, a 6.70c/l ex-VAT seasonality payment for eligible suppliers and the filling of the Budget 2026 VAT gap left the average Tirlán supplier with a January milk price of 50.10c/l at delivered constituents.

Tirlán’s board also reaffirmed its intention to pay out a 4.78c/l ex-VAT seasonality bonus on February milk, as well as having unveiled the details of the co-op’s €5.5m trade rebates.