Victor Boyhan urges committee to take agriculture debate nationwide
Victor Boyhan congratulated the appointee, welcomed a more diverse committee and stressed equality between senators and TDs. He urged the committee to take its work and agricultural messaging out to rural communities, hold the Minister for Agriculture and Food and his three ministers for state to account, and broaden focus to forestry, horticulture, education and training amid the new CAP and potential US tariffs.
Appointment and committee equality
He opened by congratulating the new appointee, welcoming women around the committee table and emphasising that there is no hierarchy between a senator or a TD on the commission. He said all members are equals with the right to participate fully in the commission's work.
Accountability and public engagement
He urged the committee to use its remit to cover the department and hold the Minister for Agriculture and Food and his three ministers for state to account in public forums. He stressed the importance of communicating beyond committee rooms - speaking to the camera and to the public - to represent and advocate for farming and rural communities.
Broader agricultural priorities and external risks
Boyhan asked that equal attention be given to forestry, horticulture, education and training, not only soil-based agriculture. He warned of significant challenges arising from the European Union new CAP and noted the current threats of tariffs from America, even if they remain at the threat stage.
County meetings and media partnerships
He called for the committee to meet farming and rural communities around the country and to engage food producers directly. He proposed formal outreach and partnership with AgriMedia and AgriNews, and named outlets such as AgriLand, the Farmers Journal and Provincial Papers, including a suggested private briefing for AgriMedia to improve how committee messages are communicated nationally.
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Just to say I want to congratulate you on your appointment and I suppose as you were opening remarks, first I want to acknowledge it's great to see the new diverse team, to see women sitting around these tables, something I've long advocated for, but I suppose also I was thinking there's no difference between a senator or a TD in this commission, I think that's really important, we're all equals here, there's no priority, there's no hierarchy, we're here on our own rights to participate in this commission. I just want to touch on a few issues, I always say, and I've been on this committee for the last five years, and I'm in the Senate for 10, elected on the agricultural panel, and I always make the point that we can tend to be in a bit of a bubble here, and I always say to people when we engage, we have a strong opportunity here to cover the department, to hold to account the Minister for Agriculture and Food, and in fact his three ministers for state, in a public forum, and I always say to people here when I make my contributions is, that actually, I'm more interested in talking to the camera out there, that's bringing the message outside of these rooms and outside of these houses, because that's where we will make the edge, if we can communicate and advocate and represent the farming community and the rural community, and I know every, I think every one of us can say that for ourselves, when we leave here within 10 minutes, we get calls and emails, etc. I hope that we would give equal measure to forestry, horticulture, education and training, and it's not all just based on soil agriculture, and we have huge challenges in terms of the European Union, and new cap, threats of tariffs coming from America, albeit threats at this particular stage, and finally I make one ask of you, and it is that we bring the work of this committee, and this committee, out around the country of Ireland, we meet communities, we engage in rural communities, and farming communities, and food producers, because that's really, really important, and we did a limited amount of that the last time, but I think we have potential for more of that, and my final request is that we reach out in partnership with AgriMedia and AgriNews, they cover a story too, journalists have a story too, to communicate the messages, be they political or whatever, or agricultural, outside of here, so be it AgriLand, be it the Farmers Journal, be it Provincial Papers, we need to build on that, we need to build within our own internal communications within this committee, and within the Oireachtas, and I'm a great believer in getting the messages out of here, and I'd ask that we keep the focus, and possibly have a private session, sometime in the next few months, where we invite the AgriMedia into a briefing, to say, how can we partner with you, how can we get our messages right across this country, so I wish you well, it's exciting times for all of us, particularly for you, and all the very best with it, thanks.
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