Environment Committee

Paul O’Brien

Chair IFA Environmental & Rural Affairs Committee

086-8859277 [email protected]

Details

Paul is a sheep and tillage farmer from Graignamanagh, Co. Kilkenny. He has been a member of the Environment committee since 2017. Other roles in IFA include Secretary and Chairman of the Graignamanagh branch, as well as serving as Co. Kilkenny Secretary and Vice Chairman.

Paul is married to Carol and they have two sons and a daughter.

Geraldine O’Sullivan

Senior Policy Executive

01-4260343 [email protected]

The roles of the Environment & Rural Affairs Committee include:

• Removing unnecessary and excessive bureaucracy which is being imposed on farmers.
• Creating a greater understanding that farmers in recent years have spent over €2.5bn ensuring that their farms conform to the highest environmental standards and have the most emission efficient food production system in Europe.

Other important issues are:

• Ensuring proposed climate legislation does not hinder the development of the sustainable agri-food sector.
• Securing changes to existing hedge cutting dates.
• On-going support of farm families impacted by infrastructure projects.
• Opposing unjustifiable changes being imposed on rural dwellers.
• Seeking a more practical solution to the on-going farming by date and slurry spreading difficulties.
• Continuing to identify on-farm cost savings through the voluntary Smart Farming initiative.

Environment & Rural Affairs Committee