Killeen Welcomes New Long Term Strategy For Agri-Food Sector

Tony Killeen, Fianna Fail TD for Clare, and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has confirmed that submissions on a long term strategy for the development of the agri-food and fishing sector will be invited by the end of November.

The new strategy for the period up to 2020 is currently being developed and is expected to be completed around the middle of 2010. The Department and five State Agencies - Bord Bia, Teagasc, Enterprise Ireland, BIM and the Marine Institute - are jointly involved in the preparation of a series of papers on the main sectors, which will give an informed basis to a web-based public consultation process and request for submissions.

According to Minister of State Killeen: “It is clear that a new direction is needed for the Irish agri-food sector. A number of the chief executives of major food companies share the view that there is a need for a long-term strategic plan for the future of the industry, for which there is so much potential, especially given the projections for population growth over the next few decades.”

He continued: “The Department is keen to seen all those with a stake in the Irish agri-food sector participating actively in the process, which I hope will stimulate debate and provide some answers. There are no easy answers, but we must do everything possible to maximise the potential of the sector.”

“The strategy will represent a new departure and will set out what is needed to reposition Irish farming and food for growth in the years ahead”, the Minister of State concluded.

Department Raises Difficulties In Farming Sector With Banks

Minister of State and Fianna Fail T.D. for Clare, Tony Killeen has confirmed that the Department of Agriculture met with Irish banks at the weekend to encourage Irish banks to extend normal working capital facilities to farmers.

The meeting between Minister Killeen’s Department, the major banks and the Irish Banking Federation focused on the ongoing credit difficulties being experienced in the farming sector. According to Minister of State Killeen: “The banks recognise the current short-term difficulties faced by farmers and have made it clear that they are open for business. The are, however, encouraging farmers to initiate contact at an early juncture in instances where difficulties with regards to short term financing and sourcing working capital are envisaged.”

He emphasised the difficulties associated with poor weather conditions as well as low prices, particularly in the dairy sector, and said that “farmers require access to higher levels of short and medium term credit facilities to assist in weathering the current storm”.

The Junior Agriculture Minister added: “The Department of Agriculture will persist with its efforts to impress upon and facilitate banks in providing more assistance to their farmer clients at this very difficult time, particularly having regard to low product prices this year. The ongoing discussions with the IBF and the banks with regard to agri-sector issues including credit to farmers represents a significant component of the ongoing Government objective to free up lending on a commercial basis into the economy as a whole.”

It is anticipated that the ongoing discussions between the Department of Agriculture, the IBF and the banks will also compliment the work of the Credit Supply Clearing Group, which was established to identify credit bottlenecks to viable businesses and to seek to identify credit supply solutions. This group includes representatives from the main banks, business interests, including the farming sector, and state agencies.

Dairy Sector To Benefit From High Level Consultative Group

Junior Agriculture Minister and Fianna Fail T.D. for Clare, Mr. Tony Killeen has welcomed the announcement by his colleague and Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith regarding the establishment of a consultative group to advise on medium and long term measures for the dairy sector.

The new group is being established following this week’s special meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers in Brussels where there was a full discussion on the need for measures to manage the dairy market in the period up to quota abolition and beyond. According to Minister of State Killeen: “By availing of the broadest possible range of views, the Department of Agriculture and the country will be better prepared to develop a long term strategy for ensuring the viability of the Irish dairy sector.”

The consultative group will be representative of all stakeholders including the IFA, ICMSA, ICSA, Macra na Feirme, ICOS, IDIA and IDB, who will be asked to nominate representatives. In addition, Teagasc and academic interest will be invited to participate.

Minister of State Killeen said that the high level group would examine medium term and long term ways of stabilising dairy farmers’ incomes and improving market transparency.

“In its work towards delivering a comprehensive report by June 2010, the group will examine means through which contractual arrangements in the supply chain can contribute to the highest possible returns for producers, giving them more bargaining power in the process and providing a buffer against extremes of market volatility such as those that are being experienced at present. It will also examine existing market instruments and consider what other means, including a dairy futures market, could contribute to the objective of price stability in the longer term”, he added.

The Department of Agriculture is expected to shortly convene the first meeting of the consultative group.

Milk Super Levy Situation For August

The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food, Tony Killeen TD, has announced that based on estimated milk deliveries as submitted by milk purchasers for the period up to 31st August 2009, Ireland is 9.00% under quota when account is taken of the butterfat content of milk deliveries during the same period.

The milk super-levy and milk quotas were introduced in 1984 marking the first major changes to the CAP since Ireland's entry to the EEC. Sheep and sucker cow numbers increased as a result.

Ireland’s milk quota position is published on the Department’s website Under ‘Publications’, followed by the relevant year.

Investigation Underway Into Abbeyleix County Laois School Bus Fire

An investigation is under way into a fire on a school bus in County Laois this morning.

There were 47 post-primary pupils on the bus, which was travelling from the Ballyroan area to Abbeyleix at around 8.15am. According to RTE, smoke was spotted from the back of the bus and the pupils were immediately evacuated.

Emergency services attended the scene but no one involved needed medical attention.

Majority Yes Vote Is Likely Lisbon Treaty Result - Fine Gael Exit Poll

Ireland's second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is set to see a majority for the Yes side, according to an exit poll carried out by the country's opposition party, Fine Gael.

A spokesperson for the party told EUobserver that the private poll had shown that around 60 percent of people voted in favour of the treaty, reports EUobserver). The exit poll is based on 1,000 voters from 33 locations around the country. With 80 percent of the exit poll votes counted, the result shows 60 percent in favour and 40 percent against, said the spokesperson late on Friday evening (2 October).

Billy Timmins, director of elections for the party said: "These are very encouraging numbers for the Yes side and it's a testament to all the hard work done by Fine Gael and all those on the Yes side." The final result of the referendum will be announced on Saturday afternoon with official counting to begin early in the morning.

State broadcaster RTE reported that early indications of voter turnout show that more people went to the polls than in June last year, when Irish voters rejected the treaty by 53.4 to 46.6 percent on a turnout of 53.1 percent.

A Yes result will be strongly welcomed by Prime Minister Brian Cowen. His unpopular government had struggled with the task of trying to sell the treaty to the 3 million-strong electorate even as it trailed in the polls. It will also be greeted with huge relief in Brussels, where EU officials have been waiting with high anticipation to see whether Ireland would join the 26 other member states who have completed parliamentary ratification of the treaty, or reject the document again, a move that would have resulted in the agreement being binned for good.

If the Yes vote is confirmed, the focus will immediately turn to Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose signatures are needed to complete ratification in both countries. The Polish president has previously indicated that he would sign the treaty soon after a Yes vote in Ireland. But Mr Klaus has given little indication of when he would be prepared to take the same step, amid a fresh court challenge against the text. The treaty needs to be ratified in all 27 member states to come into force.

14 Million Litres Allocated To Dairy Farmers Under New Entrants Scheme

Junior Agriculture Minister and Fianna Fail T.D. for Clare, Tony Killeen said the news that 70 new entrants to dairying have each been allocated a milk quota of 200,000 litres under the New Entrants Scheme augurs well for the future of the Irish dairy sector.

Applications for the scheme, details of which were announced in June, were considered through a selection process conducted by an independent assessment group chaired by Mr. John Tyrrell, Director General of the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS).

A total of 141 applications were received by the closing date of 31 July 2009. Of these, 35 were disqualified because the applicants were either already quota holders, did not submit a business plan or did not have the required educational qualifications. The remaining 106 were considered by the assessment group, which selected the 70 successful applicants.

Minister of State Killeen said the applications were high not only in number but also in quality. He continued: “The feedback from the assessment group has been extremely positive, in that while the 70 successful applicants clearly merited their selection, the overall standard across all applications was very high. The milk sector is, and will continue to be, hugely important for Ireland. It has huge potential. This scheme, aimed at new entrants, augurs well for the future of the sector.”

He noted that that a further 1% of additional quota would be available in 2010. “All recipients have until 1 April 2011 to commence production, and all will be required to attend training courses facilitated by Teagasc and to provide financial statements on an annual basis to the Department”, added Minister of State Killeen.

Home Care Plus Announces 50 Jobs

A private home care company has announced plans to create up to 50 jobs in the Leinster region over the coming year.

Home Care Plus says it is in the process of recruiting 20 carers and expects to generate another 30 jobs in the next 12 months. The firm provides care for elderly and unwell people in their own homes.

EU Agriculture Ministers To Discuss Supports For Dairy Market

Junior Agriculture Minister and Fianna Fail T.D. for Clare, Tony Killeen has welcomed the decision of the European Union’s Agriculture Ministers to meet on October 5th next to discuss the introduction of additional measures to support and stimulate the dairy sector.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister of State Killeen reiterated his call on the EU Commission to increase the level and scope of export refunds and to continue to apply all available market support measures. He said: “I recognise that the Commission has been quick to deploy aid to private storage, intervention and export refunds to support the sector to date. However, the fact is that these measures, while stabilising the market, have proved insufficient to lift the market, and we now need to act on the proposals from a large and growing number of Member States.”

“Ireland, for its part, recently joined a number of other nations in pledging support to a set of detailed proposals to support the sector”, added the Clare Deputy.

Clare Rally Win For Monaghan's Niall Maguire

The S10 Subaru of Monaghan's Niall Maguire, who was co-driven by Enda Sherry, had too much power and pace for their rivals on today's Auburn Lodge Clare Rally.

They led throughout the Ennis-based nine-stage rally and won by a convincing margin of two minutes and 14 seconds, reports Breakingnews.ie. Mike Quinn/Grainne McEnery (Ford Escort) took second spot followed by the similar car of Ed O'Callaghan/Ger Clancy, who were 10 seconds further behind in third.

Maguire was quickest on the first pair of stages, while Clare ace Anthony O'Halloran (Mitsubishi) set the best time on the third stage. By then, Maguire was 21 seconds clear. He set the pace on all three stages of the second loop and duly stretched his advantage to 52 seconds.

Second placed O'Halloran had opened up a 25 second advantage over Quinn. Maguire cantered to victory but on the penultimate stage, O'Halloran retired after his Mitsubishi punctured. Quinn (Escort) took second followed by Ed O'Callaghan. Irish and British Fiesta SportingTrophy winner, Craig Breen brought the M-Sport Fiesta R2 home in fifth place.

1. N. Maguire/E. Sherry (Subaru WRC) 1h. 04m. 56s.
2. M. Quinn/G. McEnery (Ford Escort) 1h. 07m. 10s.
3. E. O'Callaghan/G. Clancy (Ford Escort) 1h. 07m. 20s.
4. T. Bustard/K. Bustard (Mitsubishi) 1h. 07m. 31s.
5. C. Breen/G. Roberts (Ford Fiesta) 1h. 07m. 57s.
6. B. Brogan/D. McGettigan (Ford Escort) 1h. 08m. 04s

For full results click here

Acceptance Of Lisbon Treaty Will Aid Irish Economic Recovery Says Killeen

Junior Minister and Clare Deputy Tony Killeen has said that Ireland's acceptance of the Lisbon Treaty in the upcoming Referendum would greatly assist Irish economic recovery and ensure that the country remained at the centre of Europe.

Minister of State Killeen noted that the scale of the current economic challenges could only be tackled by countries working more closely together. He continued: "We need an efficient and reformed EU to help us. Europe has listened to the Irish people and has given new guarantees on all of the main issues from last year. The Treaty is subject to these legal guarantees. Bearing in mind that in over 50 years the EU has fully honoured every one of many similar guarantees, we can be sure that voting Yes to Lisbon is a vote for economic recovery in both Ireland and Europe. No is the vote for Ireland taking a step away in a new and more uncertain direction".

Commenting on the legal guarantees received from the EU in June, Minister of State Killeen pointed out: "Voting Yes will ensure Ireland retains its Commissioner. A No vote will mean current rules remain, which means the loss of automatic Commission membership immediately. In 2008, 80% of people were concerned about this issue. It has now been addressed."

"Voting Yes will enhance Ireland's ability to attract investment. The people who invest in Ireland and support hundred of thousands of jobs say that confidence in our position as a Euro-positive country matters a lot for them. Only a Yes will help maintain confidence at this difficult time. Voting Yes is also good for workers and social protection. The Treaty is based on the idea of enabling both growth and social protection, building on the Union's role as the great protection of workers and consumers", he added.

Minister of State Killeen said that Ireland needed a reformed EU to tackle the economic crisis. "A Union frozen in the past is of no use to anyone, but a Union that is more dynamic and effective is essential for our future. A more efficient EU is to our benefit. We also need to send a strong signal to our EU partners and to international investors that we are a fully engaged EU country. Ratifying Lisbon will send this vital signal", he concluded.

New Animal Welfare Guidelines Are Launched

The Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC) today launched a new booklet entitled 'Animal Welfare Guidelines for Managing Acutely Injured Livestock on Farm'.

The publication sets out a procedure for managing an injured animal on farm including live transport to a slaughterhouse or transport following an emergency slaughter on farm. Stakeholders outside of FAWAC involved with veterinary public health issues have also been consulted in drafting the guidelines.

Welcoming the launch of the new booklet, Junior Agriculture Minister Tony Killeen, T.D., said the guidelines set out very comprehensively a method for managing injured livestock. The Clare T.D. added: These guidelines not which not only protects the welfare of the animal but also safeguards consumer health by providing very clear protocols to be followed by the farmer, his/her private veterinary practitioner and the slaughter plant in managing the injured animal".

"The procedure now in place will support farmers and their private veterinary practitioners in arriving at an informed decision on how best to deal with an injured animal. In establishing this protocol, which is provided for in European hygiene legislation and which specifically applies to healthy animals that have suffered some form of accident on farm, it provides an opportunity for farmers to achieve an economic benefit from some animals which heretofore would have had to be disposed of as fallen stock", stated Minister of State Killeen.

The booklet is available on the FAWAC website at www.fawac.ie or from the FAWAC Secretariat - email FAWAC@agriculture.gov.ie

Climate Change Strategies Must Consider Security Of Food Supply - Killeen

The need to ensure security of food supply and the doubling of global food production in Europe over the next forty years should be considered when addressing the challenge of reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions, stated Junior Agriculture Minister Tony Killeen, T.D., today.

The Clare Deputy said he believed the European Union should assume a lead role in the effort to ensure sustainable food production in Europe, and to achieve global food security while effectively addressing the challenges of climate change. He commented: “These objectives will not be easy to reconcile. However, improved efficiency and productivity has already had a significant impact on Greenhouse Gas emissions from European agriculture. Much has been achieved through better farm management, progress in animal breeding and better use of fertiliser.”

Minister Killeen noted that, in Ireland’s case, efficiency improvements have led to a reduction of approximately 12% in the methane emissions associated with each tonne of milk output since 1990. “Emissions from agriculture represent 27% of Ireland’s overall emissions and almost 40% of Ireland’s non-trading sector emissions. This is the highest level of any Member State”, he added.

“Carbon efficiency can be further improved somewhat, without reducing food production. However, the scale of the challenge of climate change, and the manner in which we choose to address it, may result in unintended negative impacts, both in terms of Europe’s role in global food production and global Greenhouse Gas emissions levels. Therefore, there should be a consolidation of European research into technologies that will deliver mitigation and assist in adapting to the changes that are unavoidable”, concluded Minister of State Killeen.

Brucellosis-Testing Programme Is Scaled Down

Junior Agriculture Minister, Mr. Tony Killeen T.D., has said that the brucellosis-testing programme will be scaled down over the next two years following the recent European Commission decision granting Ireland officially brucellosis-free status.

The Clare T.D. confirmed that significant changes to the brucellosis programme have already been implemented with effect from 9th September 2009. The changes include an increase in the age threshold for annual round testing to 24 months; an increase in the validity period of the pre-movement test from 30 days to 60 days; an increase in the age-limit for the pre-movement test for female animals from 12 to 18 months and, in view of the lower risk attached to their movement, to 24 months for bulls; and the pre-movement test "one sale" rule applying to female cattle aged 18 months or more is retained. However, as a result of the change in age threshold for bulls, the "one sale" rule for bulls is being increased from 12 to 24 months.

According to Minister Killeen: “The new arrangements will reduce the cost of testing to farmers by removing the need to test approximately a quarter of all eligible animals during the course of annual herd testing. In addition, the extension of the pre-movement test to 60 days combined with the increase in the age threshold to 18 months for female animals will result in further significant savings for farmers. The total saving from these changes is estimated to be in the region of EUR5m.”

He continued: “In addition to the changes that came into effect this week, I welcome the move to initiate further changes in 2010 and in 2011. Commencing on 1 January 2010, dairy herds scheduled to be tested in 2010 and 2011 will now be tested every second year. This will exclude some 550,000 animals each year from the round test and, when taken in conjunction with the increase in the age threshold to 24 months which is being introduced immediately will remove some 1.35m animals from the annual testing programme".

"The steps taken by the Department of Agriculture are risk-based and focussed on reducing costs on farmers generally. They strike a balance between reducing significantly herd-based surveillance testing whilst maintaining vigilance regarding movement of animals. Reducing the burden of testing at herd level in a strategic way gives greater all-round cost reduction benefit while continuing to mitigate the overall level of risk of disease spread", added Minister of State Killeen.

Fianna Fail Must Support The Greens In Government

Clare Green Councillor Brian Meaney, one of three sitting Green County or City Councillors in the country, has said the Government will collapse if Fianna Fail ignores his Party's stance on the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) and the Commission on Taxation Report.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of the Green Party's membership this Saturday, the Clare County and Ennis Town Councillor said the Green party was prepared to implement change regardless of the political consequences or its popularity ratings in the opinion polls. He said: "Being in Government right now is the most fantastic place the Green Party can be. Ireland is at a critical juncture and the Greens are in a position to demand the implementation of measures required to influence the establishment of sound fundamentals to Irish electoral, financial and planning structures. A question remains, however, over Fianna Fail's willingness to accept the change that is necessary and the unknown political consequences of that".

Councillor Meaney, who has been a party member for 20 years, added that the redrafting of the proposals on NAMA was only one element of the demands being sought by the Green Party of their Government partner. He continued: "The NAMA Legislation only deals with consequences of the Wild West that was, or perhaps still is, the Irish banking sector. This lawless sector was presided over by our senior Government partner and made worse by the Dodge City planning and zoning decisions around the country. We possibly have the opportunity to set it right though I do not conceive the electorate will thank us for it. We should be prepared to take the hard decisions by securing the future of this country. Any party that fails to do so should not be in government."

Councillor Meaney admitted that, despite the pressure his party was placing on their Government partner, a General Election would undermine the country's ability to tackle the problems it now faced. "The authority and mandate of this Government to introduce the measures required to correct national finances and the banking sector may be open to question. However, the political posturing and opportunistic headline-grabbing positions taken by political parties and opinion makers over the last number of weeks is an indication of the debate that would take place during a general election campaign. It is clear to me that a General Election would solve nothing and would only lead to more confusion, false promises, and the general appeasement of various interest groups due to the parochial and clientelist nature of the Irish political process.

"The focus, media and otherwise, should not be on whether the Greens walk from Government but on Fianna Fail shirking doing what is right and supporting the measures the Greens are prepared to support and once and for all put the Governance of this State on the right track. Any capitulation by Fianna Fail on this would require them to leave Government. This would spark a General Election that Ireland's reputation can ill afford, potentially transforming this country into a political basket case as well as an economic basket case.

"For the first time in our political history the Greens are not irrelevant and we would be foolish if we allowed that opportunity slip. We face political oblivion if we, as a small, policy orientated political party fail to use our position to shove our political partners down the route this State has failed to take in the past. Fianna Fail must support the Greens in Government", concluded Councillor Meaney.

Reopening Of Indonesian Market To Irish EU Beef Welcomed By Killeen

Junior Agriculture Minister and Clare T.D., Mr. Tony Killeen has warmly welcomed the Indonesian Government’s decision to lift its 8-year-old ban on the importation of Irish beef.

The Asian country imposed the ban for BSE-related reasons in 2001. The market is being re-opened under the conditions recommended by the Indonesian experts who visited Ireland last June. These include a requirement that the meat originate from cattle under 48 months of age. Initially access is being limited to those four plants that were inspected in June but the possibility of approving other plants, following similar inspection, remains open.

According to Minister of State Killeen: “The re-opening of this valuable market reflects intensive efforts by Government at political, diplomatic and technical level. Prior to the ban exports of Irish beef to Indonesia exceeded 24,000 tonnes, valued at in excess of EUR28.5 million.”

“This development represents another significant breakthrough in regaining markets closed because of BSE and added that it will provide a welcome additional outlet for Irish beef on the world market. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will continue to work with An Bord Bia and the Department of Foreign Affairs to develop new overseas opportunities for Irish beef exporters”, he added.

REPS Slurry Spreading Period Extended

REPS farmers unable to spread slurry on their land due to the recent poor weather conditions have been buoyed by a six-week extension of the REPS slurry-spreading period.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food this week announced the temporary measure to assist REPS farmers. According to Tony Killeen T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: “The measure applies to farmers in REPS 3 who are required to have spread all the slurry produced during the winter housing period by 31 August”. The Clare T.D. said: “The atrocious weather conditions of the past two months have made it extremely difficult for some local REPS farmers to get their slurry spread by the end of this month”.

He continued: “The Nitrates Regulations would rule out spreading in many areas at the moment. I am delighted, therefore, that Minister Smith has agreed to extend the deadline to 15 October, which is the deadline in the Nitrates Regulations themselves and also applies to farmers in REPS 4”.

Agri-Food Sector Needs Support Of Irish Retailers

The viability of the agri-food sector is dependent on the commitment of the Irish retail sector to sourcing and providing a comprehensive range of familiar domestic products and brands.

That is according to Junior Agriculture Minister and Clare T.D. Tony Killeen who this week said that the concentration at retail level has fundamentally changed the balance of market negotiating power in the food chain. Acknowledging that this was not an issue confined to Ireland, Minister of State Killeen added: “This is one factor behind the declining share of retail prices passed to agricultural producers. The Department has been working closely with the Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan TD, and her Department on the details of a Code of Practice in this area, which will have as its key objective the need to achieve a balance in the relationship within the retail trade.”

The Clare T.D. explained, “The Irish Agri-food is Ireland’s most important indigenous sector, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout every county in the country, at both producer and processor level. I, along with my Department colleagues, will continue to impress upon large retailers the benefits of continuing to support, source and make available as wide and comprehensive a range of Irish products as possible.”

“While it is important that consumers continue to get value from retailers, it should be pointed out that a fair return to suppliers and producers is essential to the maintenance of thousands of Irish jobs and the survival of primary producers. The importance of a sector that supports, directly and indirectly, 230,000 jobs cannot be overstated. Furthermore, the sector has the potential to accelerate the country’s economic recovery”, he concluded.

Killeen Welcomes Public Consultation On CAP

Junior Agriculture Minister and Clare T.D., Mr. Tony Killeen has welcomed the commencement of a public consultation process on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post 2013.

Individuals and organisations are being given until the end of September to forward submissions regarding the shape and content of the revised policy. Minister of State Killeen said: “This public consultation process has been launched to find out what programmes people think will best serve Ireland and the EU in the future. The Department of Agriculture has also prepared an information note outlining some of the options being put forward for European agricultural policy after 2013, and setting out briefly the views that Ireland has expressed to date.”

Currently there is a review in train of all aspects of the EU budget. This will be followed by negotiations to determine the composition of the next Financial Perspective of the EU from 2014 to 2020, including the funding available for agriculture and rural development. Parallel with this process, the 27 Member States and the Commission are in the early stages of considering the shape and content of the CAP for the period after 2013.

“A number of common themes and key issues are already emerging from these debates and they, together with discussions on the future EU budget, are set to inform the concrete proposals that will be tabled at a later date. For these reasons the Minister for Agriculture has decided to undertake a consultation process with Irish stakeholders to obtain their views on what EU agriculture policies they believe will serve Ireland and the EU best in the years to come”, commented Minister of State Killeen.

Written submissions should be sent by email to cap@agriculture.gov.ie or by post to EU Trade Division, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Floor 6 Centre, Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 marked “Submission on CAP after 2013”. The deadline for receipt of submissions is Wednesday 30 September 2009. The consultation document is available on the Department’s website www.agriculture.gov.ie. It is also available on request from EU Trade Division, telephone number 01 607 2422 or 607 2813 or email to cap@agriculture.gov.ie

Lisbon No Vote Will Isolate Ireland In Europe, Says Killeen

A “No” verdict in the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty would greatly undermine Ireland’s bargaining power on vital issues in Europe.

That is according to Minister of State and Clare T.D. Tony Killeen who warned that a second rejection of the Treaty in October would diminish Ireland’s credibility abroad.

“Having attended numerous Council of Ministers meetings before and since the Treaty was rejected by Irish voters last year, I have noticed a distinct change in the attitudes of other EU member states towards Ireland”, stated the Junior Agriculture Minister. He continued: “It has become increasingly evident that Ireland no longer holds the same goodwill and appreciation of other member states as it did prior to the first referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Such a situation, if allowed to continue, will greatly undermine Ireland’s bargaining position at EU level.”

Minister of State Killeen noted that a second rejection of the Lisbon Treaty would have serious consequences for Irish agriculture and other business sectors. He added that a ‘Yes’ vote would deliver increased access to European Markets.

“Ireland is a small open economy which exports over 80% of every product and service it produces. Through our membership of the EU and the creation of the single market Irish business can now sell all of its goods and services to 486 million customers throughout the EU on an equal footing to any other company in the EU. In the past 10 years Irish companies have doubled their exports into EU member states from EUR44 billion to EUR87billion. However, the European single market is not yet fully realised particularly in the area of services. A yes vote on the Lisbon Reform Treaty would result in the single market project becoming more efficient and Irish business securing further business opportunities”, stated Minister of State Killeen.

The Clare T.D. outlined a series of other positive consequences for Ireland as a result of accepting the Lisbon Treaty. “Ireland will retain a veto in key areas for Irish Business, while businesses will be afforded increased access to international markets and power to shape the rules of international trade. A Yes vote will also mean that Irish business will continue to develop highly skilled jobs, our ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) will improve, Irish business will have a flexible and adaptable workforce, R&D potential will be enhanced, and Ireland’s exposure regarding energy security will be reduced”, concluded Minister Killeen.