Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to meet for separate engagements on the fisheries sector and women in agriculture

The meeting at 5:30pm in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be split into two sessions:

·       5.30pm – Issues impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine;

·       7pm – Action Plan arising from the National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture with representatives from the University of Galway.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Jackie Cahill said: “The Committee welcomes this engagement with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to discuss matters impacting Ireland’s important and thriving seafood and marine sectors. Matters for discussion include an integrated hub for the seafood industry, changes faced by the sector due to Brexit, wind farms and marine conservation areas, and actions to mitigate the volatility of the Irish fleet.

“The Committee will also discuss the upcoming negotiations regarding Norway’s excessive and unstainable Mackerel quotas, schemes for fishers, supports for fishing businesses in rural areas and sustainable funding model for industry, inshore fleet access to pelagic stocks and hook and line mackerel, and challenging shellfish markets.”

“In our second session the Committee will hear from Associate Professor Maura Farrell from the University of Galway on her involvement in the National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture resulting in the Action Plan. This plan sets out to ensure woman, who have always played a central role in sustaining our farms, families, and rural communities, can become active participants in the agriculture, agri-food and agri-tourism industries. Members look forward to the discussions with the Professor and her colleagues.”

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has 13 Members, nine from the Dáil and four from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.