The programme for government, hammered out over recent weeks and months by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, has been officially signed-off on by the leaders of those three parties.
A statement from Fianna Fáil said: “The leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party have signed-off on the draft programme for government and it will issue later this afternoon.
“The respective parliamentary parties will be briefed on the programme this evening,” the statement added.
Earlier today, we highlighted some of the main points in the agriculture and food chapter of the document.
The agreement commits the three parties to improving farm incomes and protecting “the family farm for future generations”.
The agriculture chapter of the programme for government is exhaustive, and covers several points, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); issues in the individual sectors; climate and environment issues; and animal health.
“The CAP must continue to deliver on high standards of food production, food security, farm incomes, improvements on animal welfare and better environmental outcomes,” the document says.
On farm incomes, the document aims to “protect and enhance the incomes and livelihoods of family farms as the agriculture sector embraces the mission of delivering on climate change and biodiversity objectives, while building on its achievements as a world-class producer of quality food”.