Committee on Agriculture and the Marine to discuss Brexit and its impact on the Agri-Food Industry

Tomorrow’s meeting in Committee Room 4, watch here,  will begin with The Irish Natura And Hill Farmers Association (INHFA), and the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) appearing from 4pm. At 5pm, Meat Industry Ireland, Dairy Industry Ireland and the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society will appear.

• The INHFA was established in Feb 2015 to represent farmers on hill designated and environmentally valuable land.
• The IFA is Ireland’s largest farming representative organisation and represents Irish farmers at home and in Europe.
• Meat Industry Ireland and Dairy Industry Ireland are IBEC’s sector associations, the former represents the beef, lamb, pigmeat and poultry processing sectors, while the latter represents the interests of Ireland’s primary and secondary dairy processors, including the specialised nutrition sector.
• The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) leads the co-operative movement in Ireland.

Ahead of the meeting, Chair Jackie Cahill, TD, said: “With three weeks to go until the UK leaves the European Union, it is very important that irrespective of the Brexit which is delivered, our agri-food industry continues to prosper.  Tuesday’s witnesses are well-placed to assess the challenges and opportunities which exist for our food producers.

“The agri-food sector in Ireland contributes hugely to our exports, and employment indirectly and directly with the agri-food sector accounts for almost 10% of overall employment. It really is a thriving sector of our economy, and clearly we export much food and seafood to every corner of the globe. During previous Dáil terms, this committee worked intensively on matters associated with Brexit, and the topic is very much part of our work programme as December 31 nears.”

For more information about the work of the Committee on Agriculture and the Marine, see the Committee webpage