Teresa Roche from Co. Galway has been elected chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Farm Family and Social Affairs Committee.
She succeeds Alice Doyle, who was elected IFA deputy president last month.
Both will take up office next Tuesday, January 9 at the 69th annual general meeting (AGM) of the association.
Teresa Roche said she looked forward to working with the committee and thanked Alice Doyle for her work and commitment in the role.
“We will have a very busy agenda with the range of issues that we cover,” she said after her election.
“Initially, my focus will be on services for mental health; pensions for farm families; and encouraging greater involvement of women in farming.”
IFA AGM
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar will be a special guest at the IFA AGM dinner next Tuesday.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue will address the meeting, while ministers of State, Pippa Hackett and Martin Heydon will also attend.
It will be newly elected president, Francie Gorman’s first address to an IFA AGM in his new role, as Tim Cullinan steps down.
Four people have put their names forward to become the new association’s National Treasurer.
The position is currently held by Martin Stapleton who unsuccessfully contested the presidential election last month.
The following candidates had declared their interest in running for the IFA treasurer by the deadline:
- Patrick McCormick, Monaghan;
- Rose Mary McDonagh, Galway;
- Pat O’Keeffe, North Cork;
- Nigel Sweetnam, Cork Central.
The election, in which only members of IFA National Council are eligible to vote, will take place as part of the AGM at Farm Centre in Dublin.