I hear there was plenty of meat in discussions on farmer issues at a Kerry IFA meeting last week, with GAEC 2, rewetting and land designations all on the table. However, there was also time for a bit of light relief.

Sources tell me Danny Healy-Rae was present and he questioned from the floor what the farm organisations had done to prevent GAEC 2 being implemented.

When chair of the IFA’s Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) committee Frank Brady got the mic at the top table he drove home the point that the IFA was the only Irish farm organisation with an office in Brussels.

He also highlighted that Danny’s brother Micheal Healy-Rae was a junior Minister for Agriculture: “If he doesn’t have more of a say than anyone, I’ll eat my hat.”

Not to be outdone in his own county, Danny responded: “I’m not asking if ye have an office over in Brussels, come out of it.”