The chair of Ornua, Aidan O’Driscoll, has been named as the chair of the new Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
O’Driscoll was previously chair of the Commission on the Defence Forces and also served as Secretary General of the Department of Justice for two years.
He has been chair of the Ornua board of directors since July 2022.
Minister Charlie McConalogue said today (Tuesday, October 22) that he is a “strong supporter of assisting the next generation take over the farm when the time is right to do so”.
Commission
Minister McConalogue said that the family farm is at the “heart of agriculture in Ireland”.
He added: “Young people are central to the continuation of a vibrant and sustainable farm sector in Ireland.
“While we have already put in place an unprecedented range of supports for young farmers, we need to consider whether those measures are having the desired effect, and how supports might best be configured for the future”.
He also set out today why he believes O’Driscoll is the right person to chair a commission, “comprising a small group of people with relevant expertise and experience”.
Other members of the commission include:
- Prof. Thia Hennessy, head of the College of Business and Law at UCC;
- Dr. Emma Dillon, economist and senior research officer with Teagasc;
- Aisling Meehan, solicitor, tax consultant, farmer and member of Women in Agriculture Working Group;
- Thomas Duffy, dairy farmer, former president of Macra;
- Trevor Boland, accountant;
- Seán Bell, chief economist, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
According to Minister McConalogue it is expected that the European Commission will publish its proposals for a post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) during 2025.
“This is an appropriate time to consider whether the framework currently in place provides appropriate support to young farmers thinking of entering the sector and effectively encourages generational renewal.
“I have asked Aidan to ensure that the commission engages closely with stakeholders, including all the main farming organisations, business representatives and relevant public sector bodies,” he said.
The committee has been tasked with assessing all issues relating to generational renewal and producing “a report on options” which will be submitted as part of the Food Vision 2030 process before the end of Quarter 2, 2025.
“This will ensure that we have an objective analysis of the issue in advance of preparations for the next CAP,” Minister McConalogue added.