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Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue has been appointed Minister of Agriculture. Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed the appointment on Wednesday.
He has also appointed Wexford TD James Browne as Minister of State for Justice with responsibility for reforming the law.
McConalogue is the third agriculture minister in the two-month government and his appointment follows the resignation of former minister Dara Calleary following the Oireachtas golf society dinner in Clifden.
Mr. Martin said “I thank Congressman Calleary for his work and that he accepted the responsibility and sincerely apologized” for attending the dinner.
Mr. Martin said McConalogue will immediately and throughout the administration’s term “face a number of pressing challenges, which are critical to securing the long-term future of rural Ireland and the industries that are its core.
“We have to prepare for whatever the post-Brexit trade situation brings. We must negotiate a final CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) that serves the interests of our communities. And we must redouble our efforts to achieve a sustainable and prosperous rural economy ”.
Mr. Martin noted that the appointment “was made necessary by the resignation of Deputy Dara Calleary after attending the Oireachtas golf dinner, which he accepts and which did represent a clear breach of the Covid-19 guidelines, which we all must meet “.
‘Attitude adjustment’
Mr. Martin said “I thank Congressman Calleary for his work and that he accepted the responsibility and sincerely apologized” for attending the dinner.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, deep dysfunction at the heart of this Government said that controversy, confusion and chaos have consumed this Government.
But she said it was the sense of entitlement and the rivalry was written in a big way in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
He said they operated the “old man’s club” which was the last thing Irish society needed.
This government needs an “attitude adjustment”. They needed to quickly see solutions to the many problems facing the state.
It is time for the Taoiseach and the new Minister of Agriculture to “wake up” and “act together”.
Labor leader Alan Kelly said, “I almost feel sorry for you, Taoiseach” because of the outcome of the golf dinner and the virtually unprecedented anger from the public. He said the minister would have to deal with Brexit and farm income. He also said he hoped the government had crossed a line in its “chaotic” operation.
Rise TD Paul Murphy said the government had failed to deal with the crisis in meat factories where there are now 1,500 cases of Covid-19 and claimed that the government was protecting beef moguls and the wealthy.
The co-leader of the Social Democrats, Róisín Shortall, said Calleary was right to resign. Ms Shortall said that the public had put a lot of effort into the fight against Covid-19 and that the “golfgate” dinner was an affront to the public.
He also criticized the imposition this week of a penalty point system.
Solidarity TD Mick Barry said three appointments in such a short time occurred “never before in the history of this state.”
He described that the government had to appoint its third agriculture minister in less than three months as an “omnishambles”.
Labor leader Alan Kelly said, “I almost feel sorry for you, Taoiseach” because of the outcome of the golf dinner and the virtually unprecedented anger from the public. He said the minister would have to deal with Brexit and farm income.
Experience
McConalogue hails from an agricultural background in Donegal and served as the party’s agriculture spokesperson, making him a natural candidate for the newly vacant post of Minister of Agriculture.
Born in 1977, he was educated at Carndonagh Community School before moving on to study at UCD, where he studied Economics, Politics and History. It was this time at UCD that he piqued his interest in politics.
He was elected to the Donegal County Council in 2009 and also served as the council’s deputy mayor. He served as Connacht Ulster’s representative in the party’s national executive prior to his election to the Dáil and is a former chairman of Ógra Fianna Fáil in Inishowen.
In 2011, he was elected TD for Donegal North East and re-elected again in 2016 when he assumed a more prominent role in the party and became involved in government formation talks. He also gained a higher profile during farmers’ protests when he warned of the annihilation facing agriculture and rural communities if the right prices and supports were not set. In addition to being a spokesperson for agriculture, he previously also acted as a spokesperson for education.
In July he was appointed Minister of State for Legislative Reform.
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