McConalogue Kicks off Farm CAP Consultation Tour in Castleisland

Light at the end … : Stephen O’Keeffe, Scartaglin and Jimmy Kearney, Castleisland waiting at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday evening for the Common Agriculture Policy Consultation Tour by Minister for Agriculture / Food and the Marine / Charlie McConalogue TD. Photograph: John Reidy

Kerry IFA members at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday evening for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Consultation Tour by Minister for Agriculture / Food and the Marine / Charlie McConalogue TD. were: Mary Fleming, Kilcummin; Kenny Jones, IFA county chairman, Tralee; Helen O’Mahony, Castleisland and Karol Kissane, IFA regional officer, Tralee. Photograph: John Reidy

Minister for Education Norma Foley, TD joins the class for her colleague, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD during his CAP Consultation Tour stop at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday evening. Photograph: John Reidy

National ICSA President, Dermot Kelleher, Inshageela, Co. Cork (left) with Flor McCarthy, IFA National Hill chairman, Kenmare and Seán O’Donoghue, Glenflesk at the talk by Minister for Agriculture / Food and the Marine / Charlie McConalogue TD at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday night. Photograph: John Reidy

At Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday evening for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Consultation Tour by Minister for Agriculture / Food and the Marine / Charlie McConalogue TD. were: Shane McAuliffe, Castleisland (left) John Joe Mac Gearailt and Karen Fitzgerald, Baile an Lochaigh, Corca Dhuibhne and Liam Dennehy, Bawnagleanna, Currow. Photograph: John Reidy

The business at hand: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD addressing the gathering during his CAP Consultation Tour visit to Castleisland Co-Op Mart with mart Manager, Nelius McAuliffe and Carina Roe, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Photograph: John Reidy

Minister for Agriculture / Food and the Marine / Charlie McConalogue TD pictured with his colleague and Minister for Education Norma Foley, TD with Castleisland Co-Op Mart Manager Nelius McAuliffe and Chairman, Timmy Horan during Minister McConalogue’s CAP Consultation Tour stop in Castleisland on Thursday evening. Photograph: John Reidy

Liam Quinlan, Quinlan’s Fish discussing some of his concerns with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD with Cllr. Michael Cahill and Minister for Education Norma Foley during Minister McConalogue’s CAP Consultation Tour at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday evening. Photograph: John Reidy

One for the Office: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD pictured during his CAP Consultation Tour visit with his colleague and Minister for Education Norma Foley, TD at Castleisland Co-Op Mart with Mart Chairman, Timmy Horan, (left) and Manager, Nelius McAuliffe Photograph: John Reidy

Jimmy Kearney, Castleisland (left) pictured with: Dermot O’Brien, Firies and Stephen O’Keeffe, Scartaglin at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday evening for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Consultation Tour by Minister for Agriculture / Food and the Marine / Charlie McConalogue TD. Photograph: John Reidy

Castleisland Co-Op Mart Chairman Timmy Horan (left) pictured with Con O’Connor, Castleisland; Cllr. Niall Kelleher, Killarney and Castleisland Co-Op Mart Manager, Nelius McAuliffe at the mart for the visit by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD on the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Consultation Tour. Photograph: John Reidy

Arriving at Castleisland Co-Op Mart for Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, TD. talk on the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Consultation Tour on Thursday evening were Kerry ICMSA members from left: Edward O’Sullivan, Kilcummin; Noel Murphy and Maurice Foley, Milltown and Mike Teahan, Kilcummin. Photograph: John Reidy

Seán Brosnan, Castleisland (left) with John Kerins, Scartaglin and Brendan Mannix, Ballymacelligott at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday evening for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Consultation Tour by Minister for Agriculture / Food and the Marine / Charlie McConalogue TD. Photograph: John Reidy

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., began his Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Consultation Tour at Castleisland Co-Op Mart on Thursday evening.

The evening ran into night as Minister McConalogue, engaging and generous with his time, delivered his talk to the gathering in the mart’s main sales ring and then discussed the topics arising and chatted to farmers until after 11pm.

County by County Tour

The Minister is currently on a tour of every county to meet with farmers and hear directly from them as part of the CAP consultation process over the coming weeks. 

Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan must be submitted before 1 January 2022 in order to have the new CAP in place for January 2023. 

Farm Families at CAP Centre  

“I look forward to meeting as many farmers as possible in the weeks ahead – I want to put farm families at the centre of this CAP,” said Minister McConalogue – who was accompanied to Castleisland by Fiannan Fáil Party colleague Minister for Education, Norma Foley, TD and he was met here by several FF members of Kerry County Council including: Cllr. Norma Moriarty, Cllr. Jimmy Moloney from Listowel and from Glenbeigh by Cllr. Michael Cahill.

Shared his Time

After Minister McConalogue was welcomed to the mart by manager Nelius McAuliffe and chairman Timmy Horan, delegations awaiting the minister’s visit included those from the IFA; the ICMSA; ICSA; hill farmers and private business interests.

“The minister couldn’t have been more accommodating. He shared his time here with everyone who wanted to talk to him about whatever concerns they had,” said Castleisland Co-Op Mart Manager Nelius McAuliffe.

“He spoke to people around the ring after his talk and he met them in the canteen afterwards. It was after 11o’clock when he left here on Thursday night,” said Mr. McAuliffe.

This is Farmers’ CAP

The Minister said that this is farmers’ CAP and that he wants to hear from farmers in every county. “Earlier this year, I committed to bringing this CAP to every calving shed, every milking parlour every tillage field and every farm kitchen table and this is another step in that commitment to farm families,” Minister McConalogue reafirmed.

“While time is tight, there is still time for farmers to have their voices heard in this hugely historic CAP negotiation,” he said.

Details on Mart Visits 

Details on mart visits will be released through agri, social and local media. Interested farmers are encouraged to contact their farming organisations for further details and for necessary COVID-19 restrictions and responsibilities. 

After Thursday night’s Castleisland tour launch Minister McConalogue spoke at Fermoy Mart on Friday afternoon.

All Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine initiatives are undertaken as part of the Department’s Action Plan 2021, which is available at: www.gov.ie – Statement of Strategy 2021 – 2024

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