Ciaran Fitzgerald

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Dramatic increase in value of Irish agri output
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Dramatic increase in value of Irish agri output

Agri output in Ireland increased by over 26% in 2022 with gross output reaching an unprecedented level of €12.1 billion, according...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Job creation not just about multinationals
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Job creation not just about multinationals

Job creation and industrial development is not just about the multinationals. The very recent and very worrying trend of lay...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: COP27 and Ireland’s ‘Food Vision’ process
Ciaran Fitzgerald: COP27 and Ireland’s ‘Food Vision’ process

Compartmentalisation does not serve the national debate. The current public narrative around the COP27 process is a reminder that unfortunately...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Why export focus is a boon amid inflation
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Why export focus is a boon amid inflation

When talking about inflation, consider first that Ireland exports just over €15 billion worth of agri-food products annually. For the largest...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Litany of attacks on agri sector continues
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Litany of attacks on agri sector continues

There has been a litany of attacks on the agri sector in some of the D4-dominated national media, following the...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Economics 101 totally dismisses Irish agriculture
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Economics 101 totally dismisses Irish agriculture

As we absorb the fallout from the recent coalition government negotiations regarding sectoral climate budgets, it is very hard not...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Science not driving agri emissions target lobbying
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Science not driving agri emissions target lobbying

Reading a recent Irish Times editorial regarding agricultural emissions, I can only conclude that ‘non-science’ is alive and well. The...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Irish economy in good shape but challenges ahead
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Irish economy in good shape but challenges ahead

If we thought that the years 2020 and 2021 were challenging for the economy due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the year...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Food price comparisons are overly simplistic
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Food price comparisons are overly simplistic

I’m sure many people where bemused or even flabbergasted at the headline food price comparisons of last week which indicated...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Ill-informed commentary on agri emissions budgets
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Ill-informed commentary on agri emissions budgets

This past week, a big part of mainstream media commentary was obsessed with promoting the idea that the Irish agricultural sector...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: McConalogue is right about the government
Ciaran Fitzgerald: McConalogue is right about the government

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue is right – government cannot do everything, but its role as...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: When does the EU start to reassess attitude to food?
Ciaran Fitzgerald: When does the EU start to reassess attitude to food?

In addition to the human misery inflicted on Ukraine by the Russian invasion, the war has led to a huge...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Turf wars – a sign of conflict or miscommunication
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Turf wars – a sign of conflict or miscommunication

The current row regarding the restricting of turf sales has received much commentary, and I would suggest has succeeded in...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Is Ireland open for dairy or agri-business again?
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Is Ireland open for dairy or agri-business again?

The well leaked and well analysed Food Vision Dairy Group paper contains a number of insights that are reflective of...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: EU needs to address price volatility in agri-sector
Ciaran Fitzgerald: EU needs to address price volatility in agri-sector

Fixed-price milk schemes are crucial, but the European Green Deal also needs to look at some form of crop and...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Will the ‘ombudsman’ deliver better returns for agri-food?
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Will the ‘ombudsman’ deliver better returns for agri-food?

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has issued a timely reminder to all of those in the...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: When is a quota not a quota?
Ciaran Fitzgerald: When is a quota not a quota?

There have been plenty of contradictory statements from government departments and political parties about whether Ireland will, unilaterally it seems,...

Ciaran Fitzgerald: Court decision on Glanbia cheese plant ‘unequivocal’
Ciaran Fitzgerald: Court decision on Glanbia cheese plant ‘unequivocal’

The Supreme Court ruling quashing An Taisce’s attempts to block Glanbia building a new cheese plant in Co. Kilkenny is...