Good Practice Standard For Kilrush Farmers Market

Mr. Tony Killeen T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has warmly welcomed the award of the Farmers' Markets Good Practice Standard to Kilrush Farmers’ Market.

The Clare T.D. said he was delighted that West Clare market had now joined Ennis Farmers' Market and Ballyvaughan Farmers' Market in being among 34 markets nationwide to have reached or exceeded the good practice standard.

Minister of State Killeen commented: “One of the Government's commitments under the Programme for Government is to encourage more direct selling between farmers and consumers by restoring and promoting farm shops and a national network of farmers' markets and country markets”.

He added: “The awarding of this Good Practice Standard will give consumers more confidence in what local food markets stand for and provide West Clare food producers with a good route to market and opportunity to deal directly with local consumers. It is also a very good promotional tool for the market itself. Bord Bia will denote Kilrush Farmers' Markets on its website and Good Food Ireland has also expressed interest in including the good practice markets in its guides”.

Minister of State Killeen noted that Farmers’ Markets also presented opportunities for entrepreneurs looking for new opportunities in growing and producing food locally.

Farmers' Markets displaying the Good Practice Standard undertake to hold markets regularly; to stock a substantial proportion, ideally at least 50%, of local produce from the county or neighbouring counties; to accommodate seasonal and local garden/allotment produce, as well as compliance with food safety/labelling rules and criteria on good governance.

Bord Bia lists the 34 markets on its website at www.bordbia.ie

Remedial Works Funding For Ennis And Scarriff

Minister of State Tony Killeen today confirmed that two remedial work schemes have been approved for local authority housing stock in Ennis and Scarriff.

The Clare Fianna Fail T.D. said that 26 million euro is being provided by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, towards schemes around the country including housing units in the Clare County capital as well as at the Connaught Road in Scarriff.

Minister of State Killeen commented: “The remedial work schemes are being given the go ahead under the Department’s Housing Capital Programme and are being supported by significant Exchequer funding. They are designed to improve the physical fabric and energy efficiency of housing in the estates concerned, as well as improvements to the local environs.”

Minister of State Killeen explained that the remedial works programme provides support for local authorities to significantly improve estates by upgrading the layout, addressing issues of anti-social behaviour, improving the housing fabric, and where possible addressing issues of social exclusion.

He continued: “Despite the contraction in the overall Government capital programme, I am delighted that the Department has secured an increase in Exchequer funding to provide a total of 195 million euro for Estate Regeneration and Remedial Works in the 2010 Estimates with a further 45 million euro provided for energy efficiency retrofitting of existing local authority housing. In addition to the schemes announced today, the 2010 funding will allow the Department to continue to support some 55 remedial works projects already underway around the country.”

Minister of State Killeen noted: “Remedial works projects not only improve the physical fabric of local communities, but are also highly labour intensive and offer opportunities to stimulate local employment throughout the country. Despite these difficult times it is vitally important that we continue to invest in our communities, to preserve the neighbourhoods in which families were reared and to add to the quality of local housing options available for the next generation, with a focus on the many newly formed family units who are now seeking social housing appropriate to their needs.”

Clare Farming Interests Contribute To CAP Negotiations

Tony Killeen, Fianna Fail TD for Clare, and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has called on all relevant Clare farming interests to continue to engage actively and realistically in the discussions on the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which will intensify in the early months of this year.

The CAP will undergo significant change from 2013. Ireland has attended an intensive series of bilateral meetings at official and political level over the last number of months with Agriculture Ministers and MEPS from the EU Commission and other Member States.

The Clare Fianna Fail T.D. said that while the formal communication from the EU Commission was not expected until the middle of 2010, the current informal phase of negotiations was extremely important. He stated: “This is the time when ideas on the new CAP are exchanged and the main policy options are formulated. Discussions are at a very early stage, but it is already clear that there will be change, and that the outcome of the upcoming negotiations on the future of the CAP after 2013 will be pivotal in determining the future prospects for the development of Irish agriculture up to 2020.”

According to Minister of State Killeen: “The full participation by the European Parliament in this round of CAP reform is a new element, and it is not yet fully clear how it will impact on the negotiations. However it is a very welcome development in that it will open up the process more and hopefully improve public understanding of and participation in the process”.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Killeen has welcomed the significant interest displayed in the process by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and confirmed that the Department would facilitate the Committee’s input.

Minister of State Killeen expressed his belief that the CAP should retain its current structure with two ‘pillars’: the single farm payments and market management measures in pillar 1, and the rural development schemes in pillar 2. “Ultimately, we need a CAP that is based on the twin goals of competitiveness and sustainability, that is properly funded, and that is simple to justify, understand and operate”, he concluded.