Search
29 Jun 2022
Search
29 Jun 2022
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
Female farmers push for gender balance at Leinster House meeting today
Gender imbalance in Irish agriculture is to be addressed at a meeting with a new female farmers advocacy group in Leinster House today.
The Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group (WASG), which is made up of prominent farming organisations including The Irish Farmers' Association and Macra na Feirme, will discuss their Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) submission to achieve a better gender balance in the industry.
They will also reportedly discuss the issue of women not being considered as young farm successors "despite being equally capable".
Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Jackie Cahill TD, spoke ahead of the meeting and said, "The Committee looks forward to meeting with [WASG] and to discuss their call for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to address the issue of achieving gender balance within Irish agriculture on its [CAP] submission. We welcome a constructive debate with the group.”
According to a 2017 study from Eurostat, Ireland has the lowest proportion of female farmers in the European Union at just 12%.
Currently more women over 80 are considered to be actively farming than those under 40 - the same isn't true for men.
— Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group (@WomensAgriGroup) September 20, 2021
Women aren't considered as young farm successors despite being equally capable.
We'll be bringing this & other points on CAP up on Tuesday in @OireachtasNews. pic.twitter.com/egR4Vsrx3m
The committee will also discuss the impact of peat shortages on the horticulture industry.
Deputy Cahill said the committee had "a busy day ahead" discussing the two important issues.
He called the importation of peat into Ireland "nonsensical" and said, "At the moment, the solution put forward seems to be the importation of peat into this country for this industry. Peat is a natural product of this country. We need to explore possibilities around a small percentage of our bogs being used to harvest peat for these industries in rural Ireland."
The meeting will be broadcast from Committee Room 3 of Leinster House.
Waterford golfer Seamus Power said he "really can't wait" for this week's Irish Open at Mount Juliet in County Kilkenny. PIC: Sportsfile
With energy costs rising these simple steps can help you use significantly less fuel
Ireland suffered a punishing start to their tour of New Zealand after an experimental side were dismantled by the dominant Maori All Blacks in Hamilton. PIC: Sportsfile
WATERFORD WEATHER: Scattered showers expected today with top temperatures of 18 degrees
From January, 2022 to end of May, 2022 there have been 31 cases of fraud reported to An Garda Síochána
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
