Healy to be chair of new commonage committee

THE new Commonage Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of Athenry’s Joe Healy has been welcomed by Galway Hill and Commonage farm representatives.

Last week, the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, confirmed the appointment of Joe Healy as Chairman of the new committee – Mr. Healy is a former President of Macra and a former Chairman of Athenry Mart as well as being the compiler of the Farming Independent livestock pages.

Minister Coveney said that he had given a commitment to the farming organisations earlier this month to appoint a chairman for the Implementation Group that he wanted 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,” said Minister Coveney.

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

According to the Dept. 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.

Connemara IFA Regional Chairman, Brendan Joyce, told the Farming Tribune that while the setting up of the Commonage Implementation Committee was ‘belated’, it was nonetheless a very welcome development for farmers in the region.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.