26 Jan 2015, 14:24
Dairy industry, live trade and animal health on agenda
26 January 2015
A delegation from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will tomorrow travel north to Belfast for a meeting with the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development. The delegation will also be hosted by the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Michelle O’Neill MLA (see programme below)
All-island issues including prospects for the dairy industry, redeveloping the cross border live trade in sheep and cattle; animal health and welfare standards, and the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 will be on the agenda.
Committee Chairman Andrew Doyle TD says: “Agriculture and food production has been a key driver of economic recovery across the island of Ireland. Committee Members are looking forward to tomorrow’s timely Assembly visit for meetings with our counterparts in the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and with Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA. As a Committee, we will be keen to assess mutual areas of interest to farm families on both sides of the border.
“Central to our discussions will be how policy on both sides of the border can realise the potential for the agri-food industry on the island to meet growing European and world demand for food in a sustainable manner. With EU quotas being abolished in April, for instance, we look forward to exchanging views on the outlook for the dairy industry on the island in the coming year. Views and perspectives on invigorating the live trade in cattle, the fostering of animal health and welfare standards, and progress on implementation of the new RDP will also be shared.”
View Committee Membership.
Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
E: paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Programme – 27 January 2015
11.30 a.m. (approx.) Arrive at Stormont Buildings
12 noon Meeting with Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development
3 p.m. Meeting with Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Michelle O’Neill MLA