‘Acting’ role shows no respect for farmers - IFA head

AGRI No contact made with former minister Smith over

The absence of a dedicated minister for the agricultural brief at a time when the sector and country is facing crucial political and trade decisions has been branded a “disgrace”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is now taking on the role in an interim capacity for a second time this year. As a result the Minister for Agriculture portfolio has switched hands five times in just two-months: Michael Creed (May 6-June 27); Barry Cowen (June 27-July 14 - 17 days); Martin (acting) (July 14-15); Dara Calleary (July 15-August 21- 37 days); Martin (again acting) (August 21-present). In order the changes came from reshuffle; sacking; change; resignation; and now incumbent. When the new minister is finally appointed s/he will be the sixth after Deputy Calleary stepped down as both Minister and the party’s deputy leader following his attendance at the controversial Oireachtas Golf Society outing in Galway recently.

“We’ve got CAP, Brexit, Mersecor, we have compression of beef prices at retail, and we have Covid on top of it all.

“In the Programme for Government they promised us an Ombudsman to look into the retail trade, that still hasn’t happened. I honest to God think they need to get their act in order,” says head of the IFA in Cavan, Elizabeth Ormiston. “We need leadership now, at this time, more than ever.

“We need somebody who knows what this is all about, a person with background, but what’s happening now is a disgrace.”

Ms Ormiston says that agriculture remained the “backbone” of Ireland’s economy that bent but never broke during the worst of the recent recession.

She for one is angered to see the portfolio taken over by the Taoiseach in addition to his other responsibilities.

“It’s an insult. I think it shows, if nothing else, a lack of respect and how they’ve forgotten it was the indigenous businesses that got this country back on its feet when it was down,” she told the Celt.

Fianna Fail party stalwart and a former Minister for Agriculture (May 2008– March 2011), Cavan-Monaghan TD Brendan Smith is a person some have suggested might be a suitable candidate to put in office once again.

But neither he, nor the party, have been in contact yet.

“I haven’t spoken to anyone about it. Plenty of party people have contacted me, not just Cavan but many parts of the country, wishing me well and they’d like to see me get the job. But I won’t be making any calls seeking the position from anybody.

“That is a decision only for the leader of the party,” said Deputy Smith.

Deputy Smith also previously held portfolios as Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture (September 2004–June 2007), Minister of State for Children (June 2007–May 2008), and Justice and Law Reform (January-March 2011).

A nomination could be put forward as soon as when the Dáil reconvenes next week, on Wednesday, September 2.

“We need to get someone appointed to the role as soon as possible. Every ministry is busy right now. But you can be sure, in the meantime, whatever needs to be done, Micheál Martin as acting-Minister will do that.”

On whether EU Commissioner Phil Hogan should resign for his involvement with the Covid-rules breaching golf event in Clifden, Deputy Smith is less direct in responding. Talking up Comm Hogan as a man who will “hold the corner” for Irish interests in Brussels, Deputy Smith said: “Having him in that role, with a clear understanding of how Brexit will impact, having held the Agricultural portfolio also, has advantages.”

But with regards to Comm Hogan’s future, Deputy Smith defers: “That’s a matter for Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tainaiste Leo Varadkar, and Minister Eamonn Ryan.

“That’s a matter for the Government to give a view on, and the European President to take their view.”