Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 Jan, 2025 to 30 Apr, 2025
Specific Details
IFA Horticulture & Potato Grower Meeting
Intended results
To invite Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae to address a meeting of Horticulture and Potato growers.
To highlight the many challenges facing the horticulture and potato growers and to listen to the Ministers vision for them in his capacity as Minister of State with responsibility for horticulture.
To seek updates from the Minister on the progress being made in the Horticulture Strategy/Horticulture Industry Forum.
To highlight the recent storm damage and to seek the re-opening of the horticulture grant scheme.
On labour –that the General Employment Permit roadmap review and the Pilot Seasonal Work Permit Scheme review are completed as soon as possible, with special reference to rates of pay, provision of health insurance and accommodation checks.
To highlight the issue of seed potato availability, specifically a requirement for a temporary derogation for the importation of seed until the Irish seed sector is developed.
To seek the introduction of a statutory instrument to compel all actors in the food chain to provide information requested to the office of the agri-food regulator.
Quality Assurance – that the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme should be the only QA audit required by retailers when growers are only supplying the domestic Irish market.
Peat – that there is a fair transition from the use of peat including a temporary derogation for extraction until viable alternatives are available in commercial scale.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Mark Walsh IFA Horticulture Chair, Sean Ryan IFA Potato Chair, Elaine Farrell IFA Director of Governance & Oireachtas Engagement,Niamh Brennan IFA Senior Policy Executive, Robert Malone IFA Senior Policy Executive
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Informal communication (2-5)
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Ciaran Mullooly
MEP (European Parliament)
Jackie Healy-Rae
Adviser to Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Joe Healy
Chairperson (An Rialálaí Agraibhia - Agri Food Regulator)
Michael Healy-Rae
Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Niamh Lenehan
Chief Executive Officer (An Rialálaí Agraibhia - Agri Food Regulator)