Teagasc farm walks
Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asks whether the Minister can influence Teagasc funding decisions and prevent the cessation of farm walks in Cork south-west. The Minister says Teagasc is independent and he would be surprised if the rumours were accurate, and the Deputy asks him to follow up.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, will be aware that his Department provides substantial funding to Teagasc, the work of which I commend. Does the Minister have any say in how it spends the substantial funding it receives from the Department? I ask that question because it is rumoured that Teagasc farm walks in Cork south-west are to cease. These walks are not only educational and informative, they are a social outlet for many farmers. Does the Minister have a say in how Teagasc spends its funding and, if so, will he ensure that the farm walks continue?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for the question. Teagasc is an independent statutory body established under legislation in this House. It has a substantial budget and it deals with research and education, critically, for farmers, which includes knowledge transfer, farm walks, etc. I am unaware of the points raised by the Deputy and I would be very surprised if they had any veracity.
Comment on this
I ask the Minister to follow up on the matter.