Agriculture

Acres scheme could buy space for government ahead of harder sell announcement to farmers

Farming TDs lined up to extol the new €1.5bn agri-environment programme which will deliver grants of up to €10,000 per year — but more costly measures for the sector will be introduced in the coming weeks

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Charlie McConalogue, the Minister for Agriculture, were flanked today by Pippa Hackett, the Green Party Senator, and Martin Heydon, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Picture: Fennell Photography

There was a carefully-chosen team line up for the launch of the new €1.5 billion agri-environment scheme for Irish farmers.

The news conference in the courtyard of Dublin Castle featured Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Charlie McConalogue, the Minister for Agriculture, on behalf of Fianna Fáil. They were flanked on either side by the two ministers of state in the Department of Agriculture, Pippa Hackett and Martin Heydon, representing the Green Party and Fine Gael respectively. ...