The new Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue will have to hit the ground running, with farm organisations expecting him to get to grips with his brief quickly.

President of the Irish Creamery and Milk Farmers Association (ICMSA) Pat McCormack said Minister McConalogue could not be afforded a “honeymoon period”.

“We’ve lost two months as it is and I would suggest that the very first priority has to be introducing a degree of stability and the restoration of some momentum to several of the policies that appear to have drifted in the absence of a Minister,” McCormack said.

Commitment, energy, and direction are needed urgently on issues including Brexit, CAP, Mercosur and climate change McCormack stressed.

Leadership

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) chair Edmond Phelan said agriculture had suffered in recent months. He too identified Brexit and CAP reform as among the most important issues for the new minister.

“Minister McConalogue now needs to get to grips with the pressing issues and make up for lost time,” Phelan said.

Another area which needs attention, according to Phelan, is the Beef Market Taskforce which is approaching one year in existence.

“Minister McConalogue needs to inject a sense of urgency into the beef taskforce. It has been sidelined for too long and farmers want results now. It must bring about total transparency in the food chain and ensure that neither processor nor retailer can abuse their dominant positions.”

TB forum

The TB forum should also be reconvened, the ICSA leader said.

“The promised TB Forum did not happen at the end of August due to the absence of a minister, yet the Department is moving ahead with changes to the TB Eradication Programme that were not previously agreed to, and which are causing much disquiet amongst farmers.”

He pointed to the issuing of TB herd history risk statements as a matter that required the Minister’s urgent attention.

Distractions

Sinn Féin’s spokesperson for agriculture Matt Carthy also emphasised that Minister McConalogue needed to get to work straight away.

“Since June, there has technically been five Ministers for Agriculture. Farming communities have taken the brunt of the chaos that has been the hallmark of this Government.

"He [McConalogue] needs to get straight to work. The distractions of government formation and the subsequent resignations of Barry Cowen and Dara Calleary have meant that there has been a lack of focus for several months on the very real challenges facing Irish farmers.”

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