30 September 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Senator Lombard
Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard (from Minane Bridge, near Carrigaline, Co Cork) has been elected Vice Chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Senator Lombard, who also serves as the Seanad spokesperson on Agriculture, said: “I am delighted to have been elected Vice Chair of the Committee.
“In these challenging times, my key priorities for the Committee will include focusing on how to protect the agricultural community from the effects of a hard Brexit.
“I will also focus on the challenges a hard Brexit would have on the fishing industry, it is one of the most exposed sectors in the event of a hard border. We need to ensure our rural fishing communities are protected at all costs.
“We must also focus on CAP reform and how it will affect the income of family farms.
“I am also passionate about farm safety. We need a cultural change where safety is the number one priority on every farm in the country and new practices to help implement this.
“I am committed to pioneering farm safety on the Committee and will work tirelessly on these incredibly important issues,” Senator Lombard concluded.
What does the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine do?
It advocates strongly for the agrifood sector within our parliamentary system and in wider public debate. The committee has a key role to play in helping to shape and influence the agenda as well as scrutinising some of the most important activities in areas such as the impact of climate change on agriculture; forestry; food labelling; animal welfare; and developing an aquaculture industry.
