Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has been defending his party’s performance in Government on the topic of agriculture.
As part of a Fine Gael visit to the county, he’s meeting local IFA reps today while also taking in trips to to Clonmel Chamber and Fethard’s Town Park.
He insists that rural Ireland and agriculture will be a big priority in tomorrow’s Budget.
The Government came under renewed criticism from the IFA last week as it held a series of regional rallies to outline their fear for the future of the sector.
Speaking on Tipp Today this morning, Minister Coveney insisted that Fine Gael is hugely aware of the challenges facing agriculture:
“The first meeting we have this morning is the IFA meeting in Horse & Jockey because agriculture, farming and rural Ireland is a big priority for my party. Always has been, and always will be.
“So there are real challenges for agriculture right now, there are also positive things happening. But the challenges of course are around sustainability, the new CAP, ensuring that we’re providing the necessary budget line supports.”
