The influential joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food which shadows the work of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), has confirmed details of its 14 strong membership.
Chaired by the Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-West, Aindrias Moynihan it includes nine TDs and five senators.
The TDs include:
Meanwhile the members of the committee who are senators include:
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.
The membership of each committee usually reflects the proportion of the seats held by each of the political parties in the houses.
Oireachtas committees have the power to “invite submissions, hold hearings with stakeholders including ministers, and draft and publish reports”.
It is likely that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will be one of the first ministers invited to appear before the committee.
According to Senator Victor Boyhan “scrutinising European Union policy and directives that impact agriculture is a very important part of the committee's work and one that we have to be very attentive to”.
“The shape of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will present many challenges and will be watched carefully by the committee as proposals immerge from negotiation – which our minister for agriculture will be central to”.
“I have highlighted to the new chair of the committee the importance of holding state agencies relating to agriculture, food, forestry and horticulture to account was important, and have suggested a number of agencies that might be considered in the context of the committee new work programme”.
The senator also stressed that he is "committed to give voice to farmers, working collaboratively with farmers representative organisations and other stakeholders in pursuing a policy agenda that is proportionate and in the best interest of farmers and primary food producers”.