Family Carers asked to put their life story on the line

Family Carers throughout Ireland are being invited to put pen to paper and compose a poem as part of Caring for Carers Ireland’s annual nationwide poetry competition.

Chief Fire Officers issue Carbon Monoxide warning

The Irish Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) is urging householders to be aware of the dangers associated with carbon monoxide (CO) build-up in the home as part Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 2014.

Friends pedal Shaun's cause

30 friends and work colleagues of a County Donegal man who is currently battling cancer will this week embark on a 350-kilometre charity cycle along Ireland's western seaboard to raise funds for Friend’s of St. Luke’s and Bone Marrow for Leukaemia Trust.

Carers Welcome Publication Of Strategy

Caring for Carers Ireland’s, which represents 109 carers groups across Ireland, has welcomed the publication today (Thursday, 19 July 2012) of the country’s first National Carers Strategy by Minister For Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, Kathleen Lynch, T.D.

Killeen Welcomes REPS 4 Payments

Clare T.D. and Minister Tony Killeen today welcomed the announcement that payments under REPS 4 have commenced.

The former Junior Agriculture Minister said he was particularly pleased that payments under the REPS schemes had been processed before year end to contribute to farm family incomes and help cash-flow.

“I am delighted that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has finalised all the necessary administrative checks and that approximately €45 million will issue to REPS 4 applicants this week”, he added.

Minister Killeen continued: These payments represent the first of the two phasing arrangements under which REPS 4 payments are made. EU Regulations allow 75% of payments to be released once the detailed administrative checks on all applications, including plan checks, are completed. The second phase of the REPS 4 payments for 2010, the 25%, will commence shortly.  This phase will be triggered by the completion of the programme of on-farm inspections for the year.”

US Green Card Application Period Ends November 3

Minister for Defence and Clare T.D., Mr. Tony Killeen has reminded prospective Irish emigrants that the period for US Green Card application period ends on Wednesday 3 November at 5pm.

The diversity visa lottery program gives winning entrants an opportunity to apply for a permanent visa to live and work in the US. The program makes 50,000 visas available annually to applicants who meet eligibility requirements. In the 2008 and 2009 there were 167 and 201 successful Irish applications respectively.

Minister Killeen said he supported the advice issued by immigrant support groups in the United States for anyone thinking of coming to the US to avail of legal avenues that will allow them to live and work legally there.

He continued: “As my colleague Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin said on his recent visit to the USA, prospective Irish emigrants should not come to America without their papers in order. We must at all costs avoid a new generation of illegals in the United States.”

Meanwhile, Minister Killeen urged people to be extra vigilant about companies and websites that charge a fee for processing the application and especially those that guarantee results.

He added: “Not only are immigrants unnecessarily giving their money and their personal information to private companies, but often no application is actually filed for them and they loose their opportunity to submit an entry”.

“All applications go through the one official route which is a US Department of State website at www.dvlottery.state.gov . Applications can only be made online via this site and there is no charge to submit an application”, explained the Minister.

For more visit www.dvlottery.state.gov.

New Renewable Energy Project Launched In West Of Ireland

The Minister for Defence Mr Tony Killeen TD today launched the Regional Approaches to Stimulation Local Renewable Energy Solutions Project (RASLRES) on behalf of the Western Development Commission.

The launch took place in the Bunratty Castle Hotel in Clare.

RASLRES is a €3m multi-national European bio-energy project funded by the Northern Periphery Programme which seeks to build awareness of opportunities for rural communities to produce and supply locally produced biomass (wood, seaweed and energy crops) to towns and cities.

Speaking at the launch Minister Killeen said “This exciting project aims to provide business development support to rural biomass communities and will aid development of biomass supply chains through direct business and community engagement. The project has the potential to bring nearly €1 million funding to Ireland’s Western Region over its three year lifetime and support over 50 companies. While some of the other countries are pursuing various other renewable energy areas under this Programme, the WDC is focusing on the wood energy sector.”

The RASLRES project will address current barriers to market growth including low levels of market confidence, insufficient market information and limited technical and business skills, and actively tackle the issues at regional and local level.

The Minister said: “If the Western Region develops a vibrant wood energy sector, it will help stimulate rural development and create jobs. WDC research has shown that the West could develop an indigenous, sustainable, renewable energy resource delivering 11% of the region’s heat needs by 2020. Such growth will require over 470,000 tonnes of wood fuel per year and would also mean an additional €15 million per annum to the economy and create up to 900 additional jobs in rural areas. Importantly, it has the potential to provide €1.7 million each year to the West’s farming sector.”

The jobs created would be spread across the entire supply chain and result in additional activity to the benefit of private forest owners, forest contractors, haulage companies, plumbers, engineers, electrical companies etc.

”The spin off from the additional employment has the potential not only to revitalise many areas that are dealing with the fallout of the current economic climate but also on the green side, our carbon footprint will improve as the estimated CO2 emissions saved annually would equate to taking over 92,000 cars off our roads”, concluded Minister Killeen.

RASLRES is an international partnership which includes:
- Western Development Commission – Ireland
- Action Renewables – Northern Ireland, UK
- Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College – Scotland
- Municipality of Norsjo – Sweden
- Oceanrainforest Ltd – Faroe Islands
- VTT, Technical Research Centre – Finland

New Energy Awards Scheme Is Launched

The considerable shift within the Irish construction industry towards energy efficient building design is being acknowledged by a newly launched awards scheme, details of which were announced today.

Building professionals including architects, engineers, builders and developers, across Ireland are being urged to submit entries to the Isover Energy Efficiency Awards (EEA), which recognise new and renovated buildings that have been built with a very low energy demand.

A €10,000 prize will be presented to the overall winner of the Irish finals who will go forward to represent Ireland at a European Awards ceremony in Madrid in May 2011. The winner will also be profiled in the internationally-distributed Isover ‘Best Of’ book.

According to Mr. Kieran Holohan of ISOVER Ireland: “The new awards scheme will celebrate Ireland’s most energy efficient renovation and new construction projects, both in the residential and non-residential sectors.”

Mr. Holohan added: “The ISOVER Energy Efficiency Awards reflect two environmental issues that are at the very heart of our core objectives - protection of the environment in the face of climate change, and enhancing the quality of and physical comfort in the buildings where we work and live.”

He pointed out that much of Ireland’s existing building stock continues to consume a considerable amount of energy for heating with significant emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels.

“New building regulations coupled with a change in consumer behaviour and attitudes has led to a significant increase in the number of renovation and construction projects embracing energy efficient design”, Mr. Holohan stated.

“Not only will this new awards scheme honour those who have excelled in the energy efficient building sector but it will also allow scheme participants to exchange and share knowledge and experience in the field. ISOVER Ireland is confident that this will help to highlight the importance of improving the energy performance of our buildings and, subsequently, the inhabitants' quality of life”, concluded Mr. Holohan.

The adjudication panel includes leading Irish experts in the field of green design and construction, namely Tomas O Leary, Passive House Academy Ireland; Jeff Colley, Editor of Construct Ireland and winner of the 2010 Green Leader Award; Jay Stuart RIBA, Sustainable Design Consultant; and Zdenka Debartoli, International Market Manager Building, ISOVER.

Projects entered in the competition must be fully completed by December 2010 and not more than 5 years old. Closing date for entries October 8th 2010. The Irish awards ceremony will take place in December 2010.

For more see www.isover-eea.com.

Killeen Launches Forestry Review Process

Mr. Tony Killeen TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with responsibility for forestry, today launched the Forestry Review process.

Referring to the commitment in the renewed Programme for Government to review state forestry policy, including the role of Coillte and its functions and operations, and the effectiveness of current forestry grant schemes Minister of State Killeen said: “I am pleased to invite submissions for this wide ranging review and I encourage people to avail of this opportunity. It is particularly appropriate that the consultation phase commences during National Tree Week.”

The theme of this year’s National Tree Week, which takes place from 7th to 13th March 2010, is ‘Twenty Ten – Plant Again’ to encourage people to make a renewed effort to go out and plant more trees during the week. This year, 15,000 trees sponsored by Coillte, will be distributed to community groups by local authorities all over the country. Events planned to mark National Tree Week include forest walks, tree planting ceremonies, workshops, talks and competitions.

Commenting on the theme of this year’s National Tree Week, Minister of State Killeen stated: “A lot of people now recognise and appreciate the many non-timber benefits of forests but it is also important to acknowledge that the forestry sector, encompassing growing, harvesting and processing of forest products, employs significant numbers, especially in rural Ireland. Afforestation - the planting of new forests - is required for the continuity of this sector and the many other benefits derived from forests so I would also encourage people to make a renewed effort to plant forests.”

In relation to the Forestry Policy review, three groups have been formed to look at specific aspects contained in the commitment in the renewed Programme for Government. The terms of reference of the three groups, background papers on Irish Forestry and on Coillte are available on the Department’s website at www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/forestryreview.

Submissions may be sent by email to forestryreview@agriculture.gov.ie or by post, marked Submission on Forestry Review, to Forest Service, Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, Johnstown Castle Estate, Wexford. It should be noted that submissions received will be made publicly available on this website.

Irish Primary Schools Can Save Hundreds Of Euro By Installing Waterless Technology

One of the Mid West Region’s best known primary schools has moved to reduce its annual water and sewer charges by installing waterless urinal systems.

The Model School in Limerick City invested in the systems, which were installed by brwaterless solution, to offset the scale of metered water charges that were introduced for all schools and educational centres in January. The Sligo-based company says that thousands of schools around the country are unwittingly flushing money down the toilet by using conventional toilets instead of newer waterless urinals.

The savings for the Model School has led brwaterless solution to develop the country’s first Pay As You Save (PAYS) programme for national schools interested in using the Waterless No-Flush systems.

According to Ortwin Reintjes of brwaterless solution: “The country’s National Primary Schools have been severely affected by the introduction of metered charges as many are not equipped with urinals for male pupils, necessitating toilet flushes for urination. The absence of installed urinals means that it is very difficult to reduce the level of water usage and the corresponding water and sewer charges”.

Mr. Reintjes said that the Model School will benefit from significant savings by its use of the system.

He explained: “The average conventional urinal uses between 50,000 and 150,000 litres of potable water per year. With only two Waterless No-Flush units installed, the Model School, based on its male pupil population of 250, will benefit from savings on water and wastewater charges of up to 350 euro per year, based on Limerick City Council water charges of EUR2.30 per 1000 litres. Outside of the obvious water conservation and commercial benefits for the school, the urinals also lead to increased hygiene as well as a significant reduction of CO2 emissions and maintenances costs.”

The urinals resemble conventional wall-hung urinal fixtures, but do not require a water supply or flush valve for their proper functioning. Gravity helps the flow into the urinal trap and into the drain line. The urinals, which can even be made of approximately 30 per cent of soybean resin, not only save water but help save natural resources and promote sustainability as well. Due to the dryness of the fixture, bacteria growth is inhibited and odours are eliminated through the minimal use of BlueSeal.

Commenting on the background to the PAYS scheme, Mr. Reintjes said: “On request, we evaluate how many litres of water per year and how much maintenance can be saved though the use of Waterless No-Flush system. The cost of the urinals is paid from part of the savings made on the reduced water charges. Fixtures are usually paid off within two years after which the schools keep on saving on water and sewer charges, along with reduced maintenance costs.”

Commenting on the environmental benefits of the scheme, Mr. Reintjes noted: “The world is becoming increasingly aware of the need to conserve water and to diminish waste water. Dwindling natural resources, climate changes, the need to reduce and/or conserve budget money plus behavioral changes have led to an increased awareness and desire to install water conserving fixtures. We intend rolling out the PAYS program to other schools throughout the country and look forward to the opportunity to speak with Boards of Management interested in finding out more about the systems and to save money.”

For more on brwaterless solution’s PAYS (Pay As You Save) program see www.brwaterless.ie, telephone 071-9150622 or email ortwin@brwaterless.ie.

2020 Strategy Welcomed By Killeen

The development of a long-term strategy for the agri-food, forestry and fisheries sectors will place the industries at the forefront of the country’s export-led economic recovery.

That is according to Junior Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Tony Killeen, T.D., who was speaking following the appointment of a Committee to lead the process and has also established a web-based public consultation process. The 2020 Strategy Committee, chaired by Dr Sean Brady, is broadly based and possesses a wide range of skills and experience. It is drawn from senior experts and participants in all aspects of the sector.

According to Minister of State Killeen: “The Committee has been tasked with drafting a short, sharp document which sets out the key strategies required for the future development of the sector. I believe that the very high calibre of the committee members will ensure that the output from this exercise will be both bold and practical and will set a clear path forward for the sector. The Committee has been asked to report by June 1st next”.

The Clare Fianna Fail T.D. noted that the agri-food, forestry and fisheries sectors were hugely important to the Irish economy and society as a source of jobs, exports and regional development. He expressed his belief that the sector could contribute significantly to Ireland’s economic recovery and provide long-term growth into the future.

Minister of State Killeen said that in order to facilitate and target consideration of key issues, a series of discussion and background papers had been prepared.

He continued: “These papers, which may be viewed on the Department website www.agriculture.gov.ie, outline the current situation and challenges facing the sector but equally importantly, pose a series of questions, the answers to which will form the core of our future strategy. Relevant stakeholders are invited to submit their views on how best to deal with some of the critical issues arising from these discussion papers”.

Details on how to make submissions are given HERE.

Minister O’Keeffe to allow schools to reopen tomorrow

Arising from an update on the weather, the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, has decided that the normal arrangements whereby schools decide to open or close based on local circumstances should be re-instated.

This means that schools in a position to open tomorrow [Tuesday] should do so. Minister O’Keeffe took his decision based on weather advice given to this morning’s meeting of the Government’s emergency planning group and the unexpected rise in temperatures that has occurred in parts of the country.

Milk Promotional Campaign To Be Rolled Out From April

A new nationwide campaign to promote the nutritional benefits and consumption of dairy produce milk will be rolled out from this April, Junior Agriculture Minister Tony Killeen has announced.

Minister of State Killeen said the ‘Milk in Action’ programme, which is co-ordinated by the National Dairy Council (NDC), aims through linkage with sport to increase milk consumption by young people in particular.

He continued: “The programme will also inform women of the nutritional benefits of milk and milk products, in particular cheese and yoghurt, in the battle against osteoporosis. This initiative is especially timely as studies show that 43 per cent of Irish teenage girls and 23 per cent of Irish teenage boys do not have enough calcium in-take in their diet and that 23% of Irish women do not have sufficient calcium intake in their diets.”

The campaign is being implemented under EU Council Regulation 501/2008 on funding promotion and information programmes for agricultural products in the European Union.

Minister of State Killeen confirmed that the EU will shortly agree to co-fund the programme. Funding from Irish industry at 30 per cent or 145,000 euro a year approximately was a prerequisite to EU co-financing and the Department will contribute up to 20 per cent or 100,000 euro a year. “I wish to compliment the National Dairy Council which has drafted the proposal in co-operation with partners in Northern Ireland, England and Wales, and which will be responsible for overall management of the project”, concluded the Minister of State.

Killeen Seeks Simplified CAP Rules And Procedures

Junior Agriculture Minister Tony Killeen has backed calls for a simplification of the rules and procedures involved in operating the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The Clare Fianna Fail T.D. was speaking following a meeting of the Council of Ministers in Brussels. He stated: “Proposals for simplification measures were made last May by a group consisting of Ireland and 12 other countries. In reviewing progress on these proposals, the Council agreed that while there had been useful work done, further efforts were needed. The Irish Government is now insisting that efforts to simply the rules and procedures are intensified, and I am delighted to see that there is strong agreement for this from other counties.”

Minister of State Killeen continued: “Officials will now continue the very detailed work involved in this and report to Ministers on a regular basis. In addition to this immediate work, I was also particularly pleased that a suggestion by my colleague Minister Brendan Smith that policy simplification should form a fundamental plank of our consideration of the shape of the CAP after 2013 was reflected by the Swedish chairman in concluding the debate. We need a simple EU agricultural policy - simple to justify to EU taxpayers, simple for farmers to understand and operate and simple for Member States to implement and enforce".

Among the other issues considered at the meeting of Agriculture Ministers was the CAP after 2013, and in particular the Rural Development or "Pillar 2" aspects of the common policy. Pillar 1 of the CAP consists of the Single Farm Payment and market support measures.

Commenting on the agriculture elements of Rural Development, Minister Killeen said that the Irish Government supported a move towards supporting competitiveness and sustainability in our farming systems. “Measures which promote competitiveness will perform a pivotal role in encouraging efficiency and innovation in farming for the future. These measures are critical to the future of Irish and European farming and should be maintained and enhanced”, he concluded.

Farmers Receive Upland Sheep Scheme Payments

Tony Killeen T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has confirmed that special payments to eligible farmers under the new Upland Sheep Payment Scheme have commenced.

Minister Killeen confirmed that he expected that Upland Sheep Payment Scheme payments worth in the region of 5 million euro would be made by the end of the month with the remaining 2 million euro being paid in early 2010. A further 54 million euro will be made available over the next three years in unused CAP funds to support incomes in the sheep sector.

The Clare T.D. said: “The Uplands Sheep Payment comprises unused funds from the Single Payment National Reserve. By creating this payment, the Government has recognised the difficulties and costs, including compliance costs, facing the sheep sector.”

“In addition to the 7 million euro payments being made over the coming weeks, the Department has allocated an additional 8 million euro for sheep fencing and mobile handling facilities to assist sheep farmers in reducing labour input, as part of a new targeted on-farm investment scheme”, added Minister of State Killeen.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State also confirmed that payments under the Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme are continuing to issue, as individual cases are cleared for payment.

Minister of State Killeen added: “To date, the combined value of the payments that have issued under these two Schemes is in excess of EUR1.462 billion. Payments due to the small number of participating farmers under the Protein Aid Scheme, worth in excess of EUR220,000, have also begun issuing”.

Budget 2010 Policy Seeks To Energy Upgrade Every Irish Building

The inclusion in the Irish Government’s Budget for 2010 of the ‘Save as You Pay’ green financing model has been hailed as a visionary decision by the campaigner who introduced the idea.

“Save as You Pay (SAYP) could enable us to energy upgrade virtually every building in Ireland over the next decade, so it is exactly the sort of policy that could help lift us out of recession,” said Jeff Colley, Editor of green building magazine Construct Ireland.

SAYP will enable cash-strapped homeowners and businesses to pay for energy saving measures through fixed repayments on their energy bills over several years.

According to Mr. Colley: “We introduced the idea of paying for energy upgrade work through utility bills over the summer because many people do not have access to savings or credit to get the work done. It was a question of right policy, right place, right time.”

Colley’s campaigning efforts resulted in SAYP being included in the renewed Programme for Government and the Institute of European Affairs Greenprint for a National Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme. He noted: “We have been blown away by the level of public demand for this approach”.

80 per cent of Irish homeowners responding to a Construct Ireland/Amárach Research survey in August said they would be interested in paying for energy upgrade work through their utility bills. 58 per cent of homeowners said they did not have enough money saved to upgrade their home.

“If the majority of Irish homeowners can’t access the money to pay for energy upgrade work, a grant alone will be of limited use,” Colley said. “Even with a grant covering 30 per cent of the cost of a typical upgrade, we have to help people to find the remainder, be it through payments on their energy bills or by adding it to their mortgage”, stated Mr. Colley.

The response from utilities has already been encouraging, with Bord Gáis announcing plans in October to introduce a major energy efficiency home services initiative in 2010, which will offer homeowners a full-scale energy efficiency service with a range of separate products and services through an on-bill finance.

“Save as You Pay can become a major driver in Ireland’s economic recovery,” said Colley. “It will create jobs, reduce our 6bn euro energy import bill, dramatically cut our carbon emissions, and enable all Irish people to have comfortable, healthy homes”, concluded Mr. Colley.

IMAGE: Jeff Colley, Editor, Construct Ireland. Pic by David Ruffles

Killeen Says Budget 2010 Protects Farmers And Irish Agri-Food Sector

The Government’s Budget for 2010 has provided clear assurances that farmers’ livelihoods and the agri-food sector will be protected, according to Clare Junior Agriculture Minister Tony Killeen, T.D.

Reacting to Wednesday’s Budget, Minister of State Killeen noted that it protected the vital agricultural schemes and that a new agri-environment scheme would be launched next year.

He said: “The Government recognises the fact that the agriculture sector has experienced a particularly difficult year, with low commodity prices and poor weather impacting adversely on farmers' incomes. As a result it has decided to maintain spending on the Disadvantaged Area Scheme at the 2009 level of EUR220 million, continue the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme payments in 2010 at the 2009 rate of EUR40 per animal, and continue payments to existing REPS' participants and to launch a new agri-environmental scheme in 2010. Approximately EUR330 million will be spent on agri-environment schemes in 2010”.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Killeen said he was delighted that the Organic Farming Scheme, which has been temporarily suspended, will re-open on 1 January 2010. In addition, the provision for horticulture is being maintained at 2009 levels of EUR4 million, which will facilitate a call for new horticulture investment projects in 2010.

The Clare T.D. also confirmed that overall expenditure on forestry and bioenergy would increase in 2010 to more than EUR121 million. “This increase includes a capital provision of EUR116 million with an increased provision of almost EUR105 million for forestry planting and premia, demonstrating the Government's continued commitment to this vital sector, as set out in the recently revised Programme for Government”, stated Minister of State Killeen.

The estimate does not include EU funding of EUR1.34 billion, which will bring total expenditure by the Department in 2010 to over EUR3 billion. The Department has paid approximately EUR1.24 billion in the 2009 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) or 99 per cent of the total SPS budget.

Minister of State Killeen confirmed that significant funding will continue to be provided for the food industry in 2010 in the form of marketing and processing grant aid to meet commitments under the Beef and Dairy Investment Schemes, as well as through funding for investment in Research and Development. The Minister also warmly welcomed the decision of the Government to approve a EUR100 million fund to improve the food industry's competitiveness over the next four years.

The Minister confirmed that a number of new schemes under the revised Rural Development Programme (RDP), which are in negotiation with the European Commission, will be launched next year and, although significant expenditure is unlikely to take place until 2011,

The Supplementary Estimate, approved by the Dáil on Tuesday night, provided for an additional EUR15 million for the Farm Improvement Scheme in 2009, bringing to EUR30 million the total expenditure on the Scheme this year. The 2010 Estimate allocates a further EUR19 million to the scheme, an increase of EUR4 million (27 per cent) on the original 2009 allocation.

Fodder Aid Scheme For Flood Hit Farmers Is Announced

Tony Killeen T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has confirmed that 2 million euro is being allocated for a targeted fodder aid scheme.

The announcement is in addition to a wider humanitarian aid scheme, to which the Government has allocated 10 million euro.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister of State Killeen said: “The fodder scheme reflects an assessment undertaken by the Department’s Inspectorate, which indicates substantial flooding of farmland in the West, Midlands and South West. One of the problems likely to arise in this context would be a fodder shortage. While it is difficult, at this stage, to quantify those losses, it is clear the damaged fodder may cause a feed shortage problem on some livestock farms which, in turn, could give rise to financial hardship and potential animal welfare issues on these farms.”

The Clare T.D. added: “As a matter of urgency, Department officials are now preparing the outlines of a targeted fodder aid scheme to provide some financial support towards the purchase of alternative feed material to replace flood-damaged fodder. The scheme will require farmers to demonstrate that the fodder was damaged and the extent of that damage and that it is necessary to purchase feed supplies to prevent animal welfare problems.”

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.