Chairman of Commonage Implementation Committee Appointed.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has appointed Joe Healy as chairman of the Commonage Implementation Committee. This is a positive development and hopefully will lead to progress in developing the commonage management issue for the benefit of all stakeholders.

The full text of the Dept. of Agricultures press release is shown below.

105/14 09 July 2014

COVENEY APPOINTS JOE HEALY AS CHAIRMAN OF

COMMONAGE IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE

The Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD announced today that he has appointed Mr Joe Healy as Chairman of the newly formed Commonage Implementation Committee. Mr Healy is a livestock farmer from Galway. He is former President of Macra na Feirme and former Chairman of Athenry Mart.

"When I met the farming organisations last week about the Rural Development Programme, I said I would appoint the chairman and get this new Commonage Implementation Committee up and running without delay. I am very pleased that Joe Healy has agreed to act as chairman and I believe he will bring a wealth of experience and energy to this role."

Mr Healy will be assisted on the committee by senior officials from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and two technical experts, one nominated by Teagasc and one nominated by the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The Implementation Committee will have a role under pillar 1 in examining cases where there may be disagreement over the allocation of minimum-maximum figures to individual farmers. It will also have a role under pillar 2 where there may be difficulty in getting the minimum 50% of active shareholders signed up to a GLAS Commonage Plan.

ENDS