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Standing Room Only At Fine Gael Convention In Thurles, As Crowd Applaud.
An impressive crowd of more than 400 delegates turned out in force in the Anner Hotel, Thurles, last Friday night to select Deputy Noel Coonan as the sole Fine Gael candidate to contest the next General Election and represent the people of the Tipperary North/South Offaly constituency. The local TD thanked one and all, for their support, their encouragement and confidence conveyed on the night and vowed to continue to do the job entrusted to him, by the people of the constituency.
Party Leader Enda Kenny made a special effort to attend the important convention and reinforce his conviction and faith in the work being done by Deputy Coonan. Earlier on Friday evening, Deputy Kenny officially opened Noel’s new office on Main Street, Roscrea.
Commending the work of Deputy Coonan, Enda Kenny addressing the large gathering stated:
 Standing room only at Fine Gael convention “It has been 28 years since Fine Gael won a general election at the polls but I am here tonight to tell you that we are going to win the next election and it is your responsibility to re-elect Noel Coonan to Dáil Eireann as part of cleaning up the streets. Make him a piece of the jigsaw of the next Government. I am proud of the work that Deputy Coonan is doing and I greatly value his view of Ireland’s position on Common Agricultural Policy reform. There will be major changes in this area post 2013 and Noel will be defending the Fine Gael position at home and in Europe. This election is on and it’s on now. Fianna Fáil are finished; it’s over for them. Labour might be flavour of the month but people look to Fine Gael for real solutions and leadership. We recognise it’s about harnessing the abilities of experts in various fields and we will not turn away from this economic crisis, we have to turn and face it and we are not afraid to do exactly that. We will put an end to cronyism and open up the Government books to the public and show them how this country is being run. People have been asked to bear the brunt of the Fianna Fáils, Greens and Independents in Government. In contrast, Fine Gael’s signpost points to comfort, assistance and security.”
Deputy Coonan was recently appointed Fine Gael’s Deputy Agriculture Spokesperson with special responsibility for CAP Reform.
Deputy Coonan thanked Mae Quinn who proposed him and Gerry O’Connell who seconded the move. The local TD expressed gratitude to all branches who nominated him and gave special recognition to Fine Gael Councillors who unanimously agreed he should be the sole candidate in the best interests of pushing the party forwards. The meeting was chaired by Fine Gael Chief Whip Paul Kehoe TD. Also present were Tom Hayes TD, all Fine Gael Councillors from North and South Tipperary County Councils along with Cllr. Percy Clendennen from South Offaly.
The crowd cheered the Tipperary North TD when he took the microphone, stating:
“It took us 10 years to win this seat and we are not going to lie down and give it away now. I look forward to the day when Enda Kenny is the next Taoiseach and the next time there is a convention here, Enda will be Taoiseach and he will say to me, you were right Minister Coonan. My message to this Government is that your time has come. It’s time Fine Gael lifted us out of gloom and Ireland is recognised as a prosperous international destination once again. I am proud to be part of a party that practices old values such as courage, integrity and decency. These traits will always be relevant in politics, but this Government has let us down through strokes and gimmicks and they are still unable to tell the truth regarding the state of our nation. A lot has changed since our last convention here in Thurles five years ago. The economy is collapsing around us. The banks and construction sector have collapsed, and the only thing growing apart from the pastures is the visible queue of unemployed people.“
 Teagasc the agriculture and food development authority in Ireland. Teagasc, under the guidance of Area Manager Donal Mullane, are hosting an important seminar for all farm families in Thurles on Tuesday 2nd of November at 8.00pm in the Anner Hotel.
Farmers and farm families are continually weighing up their options and planning for the future. Opportunities and threats are continually being assessed as farmers navigate the decision making process for themselves and their families.
In farming there is a great interdependence between the farm and the family life. All farm families have a common aim and that is to maintain a decent household income, have a good quality of life and plan for the future of the farm. The past decade has witnessed huge change in family farm structures and the recent Harvest 2020 report, highlights the significant role that agriculture will play in the economy over the next decade.
The Teagasc Options Programme is designed to help Farm Families address the difficulties which they are experiencing, of reduced incomes and unemployment. Good management is the skill of making things happen rather that letting things happen so planning for a future in farming is the core aim of the Options Programme. A newly designed farm household income ready – reckoner will give a pin picture of the farm family income which will act as a foundation to examine your present income and family situation, to assess the potential of the farm and the family and discuss the many options with potential to generate more income and create a viable and attractive future for a successor on the farm.
To ensure all farmers are familiar with the benefits of the programme Teagasc are hosting a seminar at the Anner Hotel, Thurles on Tuesday night 2nd November to inform farm families of the benefits to planning for the future through the Options Programme. Teagasc Advisors and Specialists will be present at the seminar providing advice on finance, succession, forestry, food rural tourism and organic production. Other Agencies such as LEADER, County Enterprise Boards, Fas, VEC and Citizens Information Board will be available to discuss options and opportunities for farm families.
Programme For This Seminar
8.00 – 8. 15pm. Introduction – Sustaining Farm Income – Donal Mullane Area Manager Teagasc
8.20 – 8.40pm Agricultural Incomes Today – Dr. Cathal O’Donoghue, Teagasc
8.40 – 8.55pm Options for Farm Families – David Meredith, Teagasc
8.55 – 9.10pm Local Issues for Farm Families – Bill Condon Teagasc Advisor
9.10 – 9.30pm Budgeting – The Easy Way – Maria Heneghan, Teagasc
9.30 – 9.50pm Options in Action – A Local Options Story – John Kenny Fairymount Farm
9.50 – 10.00pm Leader Funding – Michael Murray CEO Leader
10.00 – Finish Questions and Discussion
All farm families are welcome.
 National Pig Conference 2010 The Teagasc National Pig Conferences 2010 will be held on Tuesday next, 19th October, in the Horse and Jockey Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
This years conference takes place against a worrying background of rising feed costs by producers and Michael Martin, Head of Teagasc Pig Development Units states:
“Pig feed prices have increased by about €37 per tonne since June of this year. This equates to a 14 cent increase in feed cost per kg carcase weight. Unfortunately, pig prices have decreased by 7 cent per kg carcase weight since August 2010. Consequently, the margin over feed costs has shrunk to what is, for many producers, an unsustainable 43 cent per kg carcase weight.”
Speakers at Tuesday’s Thurles Conference will set out to address how producers might seek to reduce overall costs, while endeavouring to command the best possible price for pigs slaughtered. The quality of the feed ingredients is critical in minimising feed costs. Where will pig feed ingredients in the future be sourced? Are there any measures that producers can take to minimise feed costs in the short-term? All these questions will be addressed at the conferences.
Guest speaker at the event is Mr Derek Armstrong who is Veterinary Programme Manager with the British Pig Executive (BPEX). Derek will present a paper on the challenges now facing producers in relation to pig health and welfare and food safety.
The upcoming conferences will be opened by Director of Teagasc, Professor Gerry Boyle, at 2.15pm.
 Deputy Noel Coonan On Monday, Fine Gael Party Leader Enda Kenny announced new Deputy Spokespersons in the Dáil and Tipperary North TD Noel Coonan was among one of those allocated specialist responsibility.
Deputy Noel Coonan, speaking to www.thurles.info,welcomed his new appointment as Deputy Spokesperson on Agriculture with special responsibility for CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) Reform.
Deputy Coonan will now leave his present portfolio as Deputy Spokesperson on Communications with responsibility for Telecommunications and will be convening with Front Bench Agriculture Spokesperson Andrew Doyle TD to assess how he can best contribute to the development and communication of the Party’s Agricultural policies in preparation for the next general election.
“I am very pleased with my new role and being a farmer myself, it is a position I feel knowledgeable in and comfortable with. I will continue to engage with farmers throughout the North Tipperary constituency to discuss CAP reform with the target of having new policy in place by 2013. I’m also kindly urging farmers who have views on this topic to contact me. It’s important that the budget for post 2013 CAP is sufficient to fund the essential role CAP plays in increasing agricultural productivity, ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community and assuring the availability of supplies. What is also vital is that the reformed policy actively encourages more young farmers into the fold with only 7% of the EU’s farmers under 35 years of age,” said Deputy Coonan.
Commenting on his new appointments, Party Leader Enda Kenny TD stated on Monday:
“Following on from the Front Bench announcement in July, these appointments of Deputy Spokespersons and the allocations of special responsibilities today, are another important step in the strengthening of Fine Gael’s team in Dáil Eireann. The calibre of today’s appointments underlines the depth and strength of talent in the overall Fine Gael team and I am confident that we will win the support of the Irish people, when they get the opportunity to vote for a new government.”
The Treaty of Rome provided for the establishment of CAP and same financing comes from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund which is an integral part of the EU Budget.
 Teagasc Agri Environment Conference 2010 in Tipperary On September 7th next at Ballykisteen Hotel, Tipperary, the Teagasc Agri-environment Conference 2010 will provide a forum for those working in the agri environmental arena to receive an update on the most topical environmental issues affecting agriculture in Ireland today.
This is a departure from previous conferences (formerly known as the National REPS Conference) in the sense that discussions will not be limited to agri-environmental schemes.
The Conference will focus on practical outcomes from current agri-environment research, advisory experience as well as examining policy drivers and their potential impacts.
This year’s event will comprise an indoor conference in the morning followed by a farm walk on the Solohead Research Farm in the afternoon. The morning conference will hear from experts on environmental research and policy while the afternoon farm walk will consist of a number of stations located on the Solohead Research Farm which will provide delegates with a practical insight into the work carried out by Teagasc Environmental Programme.
Amongst the subject matter for discussion is included:-
Fertilizer Use in Ireland – “Getting the Balance Right” – Speaker Mr Stan Lalor, Research Officer, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle.
Phenology – ” How Natural Cycles of Wildlife are Changing” – Speaker Dr. Alison Donnelly, Botany Department, Trinity College Dublin.
The keynote address will be delivered by broadcaster Duncan Stewart on the topic “Sustainability in Agriculture – Rising to the challenge.”
This year the afternoon session will be in the form of a farm walk at the Solohead Research Farm which is located five minutes from the Ballykisteen Hotel. Due to parking restrictions, delegates will be transported by coach to and from the farm. Delegates are therefore advised to bring suitable footwear and clothing for the farm walk.
Conference Fee is just €80 per person which includes refreshments and lunch. Click here for on line booking form.
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