The Junior Agriculture Minister says how the three parties within his Department get on will be symbolic of the wider Government coalition.
The Department of Agriculture is now led by Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary, following the sacking of Barry Cowen, Pippa Hackett of the Green Party has a Super Junior Ministry and Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon is in the junior ministerial role.
Minister Heydon says the early weeks of the department have not been ideal and he would have preferred it they had hit the ground running.
The Minister, who has responsibility for Research and Development, new markets and farm safety, told Agritime their focus is very much on representing farmers and the agri-food sector:
Meanwhile, Minister Martin Heydon agrees we need to get a grip on farm safety.
Next week marks National Farm Safety Week; 14 people have lost their lives in farm accidents so far this year.
Minister Heydon says agriculture is unique as a workplace, adding that unsafe practices need to be socially unacceptable:
