The appointment of deputy Martin Heydon to the position of Minister of State with responsibility for horticulture, food and forestry at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been welcomed by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA).
Commenting on Minister Heydon’s appointment, which was announced last night, Wednesday, July 1, ICSA president Edmond Phelan said:
“The ICSA looks forward to engaging with Minister Heydon on ensuring that transparency along the food chain is delivered, and that a Food Ombudsman has the necessary powers to enforce this transparency.
The ICSA will also be pushing for EU regulations around food labelling to be tightened up and implemented without delay.
Turning to the forestry side of the new minister’s remit, Phelan said: “For the forestry sector, the ICSA is calling on Minister Heydon to urgently address the range of issues that are preventing people from getting into forestry, most notably the requirement to replant land.”
Heydon appointed agri minister of state
The current chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party, Minister Heydon was first elected to the Dáil in February 2011.
The Fine Gael TD for the Kildare South constituency has previously served on Oireachtas committees including arts, heritage, regional, rural and gaeltacht affairs.
Minister Heydon will take up his role and will now work with Minister for Agriculture and the Marine – Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen – and ‘Super Junior’ Minister in the department, Green Party senator Pippa Hackett.