What is the Ag committee and why is it so important?
Independent Senator Victor Boyhan has said it is "unacceptable" that the Oireachtas agricultural committee has not been set up yet.
It is now over four months since the general election took place on November 29, 2024.
As a result of internal disputes in Dáil Éireann since the new government was established over opposition speaking rights, the Oireachtas committees have still not been set up.
Senator Boyhan told Agriland that the role of the agriculture committee is to "mark" the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
He said: "It’s a joint Oireachtas committee, which means TDs and senators.
"Our remit is to mirror DAFM. We mark the minister and the department. There is a subtle difference between the government members and the opposition members of the committee.
"DAFM has a very broad spectrum. There’s a big scope that needs to be looked at, the environmental aspects, the balance between sustainable agriculture, sustainable development, and international trade developments. We also have the compatibility of government policy and EU policy."
Boyhan believes that agriculture is one of the busiest committees in the Oireachtas.
The membership of each committee usually reflects the proportion of the seats held by each of the political parties in the houses.
Chairpersons of committees are appointed by Dáil Éireann using the d’Hondt system, a formula that results in the chairs proportionately reflecting each party’s representation in the Dáil Chamber.
According to Boyhan, the lack of a committee since the election has "put us at a substantial disadvantage".
"We have the power to, respectfully, ask the minister to appear before us. The minister always appears when asked, we engage with him. Our meetings are conducted publicly, so that puts the minister on the record. They are obliged to cooperate fully with us, and it can be revisited. It’s very powerful."
"It’s not all argy-bargy, it’s very much collaborative. It’s an opportunity for us to select items that we want to further scrutinise or examine.
"It's an opportunity to invite the minister or his ministers of state in to account for his policies and responsibilities and we ask him questions," Boyhan added.
Senator Boyhan told Agriland there have been meetings "internally within each of the parties about the committees".
He said: "If the issues around the Ceann Comhairle are cleared up, we may see in the next few days some indication of a pathway for these committees to get established.
"Tomorrow we may hear things about the tariffs, and let’s face it, the potential impact it’s going to have on our food production and exports. We need to be ready and prepared. People are tired of the internal disputes and politics going on in Leinster House."
Boyhan has been "disappointed" by the representation of women on the agricultural committee in recent years.
"Given the amount of women from rural communities, and who have experience with agriculture and food, in the Oireachtas. I think where there are women willing to serve, they should be supported in doing so, I don’t think that has been the case," he said.
"We know women play a very significant role in agriculture on farms. There are issues in terms of inheritance, where many women have been disadvantaged in the past.
"We need to stop paying lip service to women in agriculture, and we need to support them," he added.
