Environment Committee

Paul O’Brien
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.
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
ROLE & COUNTY | NAME | MOB. NO. |
CHAIRMAN | Paul O’Brien | 086 8859277 |
V’ CHAIRMAN | Chris Hayes | 086 2497042 |
CARLOW | George Byrne | 086 8260694 |
CAVAN | Paddy Denning | 087 2576441 |
CLARE | Kieran Woods | 086 3708833 |
CORK (C) | John Murphy | 086 2795828 |
CORK (N) | Tony Mullins | 086 8186336 |
CORK (W) | Chris Hayes | 086 2497042 |
DONEGAL | Francis Burns | 086 3627146 |
DUBLIN | Philip Maguire | 087 2765237 |
GALWAY | Henry Walsh | 087 2302537 |
KERRY | Aidan Griffin | 087 7936459 |
KILDARE | Austin Morrin | 087 2232809 |
KILKENNY | James Murphy | 086 8590430 |
LAOIS | Liam Delaney | 087 1258975 |
LEITRIM | Eddie Mitchell | 087 2239972 |
LIMERICK | Barry Muprhy | 086 8577260 |
LONGFORD | Emmet Duffy | 086 8734292 |
LOUTH | Breeda Tuite | 086 6062005 |
MAYO | John Davitt | 087 6541853 |
MEATH | Seamus McGee | 086 8630985 |
MONAGHAN | Bernard Treanor | 087 9267766 |
OFFALY | Enda Bracken | 087 6526315 |
ROSCOMMON | Ned O’Connor | 086 2441024 |
SLIGO | Bernie Finan | 087 2273224 |
TIPP. NTH | Eamonn Cleary | 087 245 0192 |
TIPP. STH | Peter Farrell | 087 2324033 |
WATERFORD | John J. Byrne | 086 6034572 |
WESTMEATH | Adrian Elliott | 086 8196414 |
WEXFORD | Thomas Doyle | 086 2403231 |
WICKLOW | David Johnson | 086 8540658 |