Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture & Food

On Wednesday, May 14th, the new Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food formally met for the first time at Leinster House.

The committee, chaired by Deputy Aindrias Moynihan (Fianna Fáil, Cork North-West), requires its membership, drawn from both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, to attend its meetings “within the confines of the place where the Parliament has chosen to sit”.

Expanding on this rule, Deputy Moynihan told his colleagues: “I must ask any member participating by Teams that, prior to making their contribution to the meeting, they confirm they are on the grounds of the Leinster House campus.”

Joint Committee meetings provide the Oireachtas with a forum for more detailed questioning and discussion than either Dáil or Seanad sittings can provide.

Third parties – be it a Minister or Minister of State, members of farming representative bodies, agribusiness representatives or other key agricultural stakeholders – are regularly invited to discuss issues specific to the sector.

During the lifetime of this parliament, the committee will scrutinise draft legislation prior to either its publication or its reaching committee stage, in addition to considering draft EU legislative proposals.

As the Leinster House website states: relevant Ministers will appear before the committee “to answer questions concerning all policy, expenditure and governance matters regarding their Departments”.

As an advisory body, the committee can request submissions and invite third parties for hearings and undertake off-site visits before drafting and approving reports which detail both its findings and recommendations. The sum total of these duties aims to influence decisions made and acted upon by the sitting Minister.

In his opening remarks as Cathaoirleach, Deputy Moynihan referenced TB, forestry and social farming as key issues likely to be discussed by the committee over the next four years.

Standing in for Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins (Cork South-West) also mentioned TB and forestry in addition to derogation and the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES)  as pressing topics. He added: “It does not matter whether you are a (committee) member or not, you can come in here and give your views.”

Senator Victor Boyhan (Ind) called for the committee to “reach out in partnership with agri-media and agri-news” to further communicate agri-specific matters with the readership of industry and regional titles. He also suggested the extension of an invite to the agrimedia “to ask how we can partner with it, and how we can get our messages right across the country”.

Senator Paul Daly (FF) recalled a report finalised by the previous Joint Oireachtas Agriculture Committee prior to last November’s general election which detailed the case for retaining Ireland’s nitrates derogation. The Cathaoirleach assured the Senator that the previously agreed report will be forwarded onto the new committee’s work tray.

Senator Paraic Brady (FG) told the committee must strive to protect both food and food production. “It is the number one product we have here that Ireland is dependent on. Whether it is Dublin, Galway or rural Ireland, it is the one sector where everybody, whether it is the processors, the shopkeeper or the small farmer, gets money out of it…In the middle of the previous recession, it was agriculture that took us out (of it), with what we produced, what we exported and all the rest.”

Both Senator Eileen Lynch (FG) and Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan (SF) cited their respective farming backgrounds – dairy/beef and sucklers respectively – which will inform many of their own perspectives and contributions.

First time Senator Joanne Collins (SF) described forestry as “a huge issue” in her native County Limerick and told her colleagues that she is “really looking forward to getting stuck in”.

The new committee is composed of the following members:

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan (FF, Cathaoirleach)

Deputy William Aird (FG, Laois, Leas-Chathaoirleach)

Deputy Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere (FG, Carlow-Kilkenny)

Deputy Joe Cooney (FG, Clare)

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice (Ind Ire, Roscommon-Galway)

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae (Ind, Kerry)

Deputy Martin Kenny (SF, Sligo-Leitrim)

Deputy Paul Lawless (Aon, Mayo)

Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan (SF, Carlow-Kilkenny)

Senator Victor Boyhan (Ind, Agricultural Panel)*

Senator Paraic Brady (FG)

Senator Joanne Collins (SF)

Senator Paul Daly (FF)

Senator Eileen Lynch (FG)

(* All Seanad members are selected from the Agricultural Panel)