DEAL OR NO DEAL
WHEN you receive word of a cabinet meeting at 9am on a Monday morning you know it isn’t going to be a typical week.
Luckily, I was due in Dublin on Monday for the Food-Wise 2025 Conference my Department was hosting in Croke Park. Regrettably, what I wasn’t to know was that a day of high drama would upset my participation in the conference and, more crucially, the Taoiseach’s attendance at the event.
I could probably dedicate my entire contribution this week exclusively to events of last Monday.
I arrived in Croke Park at 7.30am to greet the speakers who were to address the conference throughout the morning and afternoon. Those gathered were curious as to why the Taoiseach wouldn’t be opening the conference as planned and why there was a Cabinet meeting taking place. Speculation naturally centred on reports that a deal to progress Brexit negotiations from Phase 1 to Phase 2 was eminent. This was obviously a matter of great interest to all gathered for breakfast who eagerly await the commencement of trade negotiations between the EU and UK so as to bring about some certainty for their business interests.
I quietly left Croke Park at 8.20am and arrived in Government buildings well in advance of our meeting. I departed Government buildings a number of hours later, confident that a good deal had been secured for Ireland and that the Taoiseach would be Croker bound to close the conference by declaring to the gathered audience that it was onwards to Phase 2!
Alas, as the afternoon developed neither scenario came to pass. Texts from Government buildings confirmed the worst – that there were problems afoot, and the Taoiseach wouldn’t make it.
Nonetheless, despite this disappointment the Conference itself was a real success with Commissioner Hogan stealing the limelight with a provoking contribution on climate action.
Later on Monday night it fell upon me to again go on BBC’s Newsnight to try and explain where it all had gone wrong and how all was not lost.
On Tuesday morning it was back to the Cabinet room for the weekly scheduled meeting of Government. Fortunately, it was a two part affair which allowed me to escape to Leopardstown for the annual HRI awards where I had the great honour of presenting Aidan O’Brien with the 2017 Contribution to the Industry Award.
I retuned to the Department to meet with IFA representatives from the North and West of the Country to discuss the difficulties being faced by farmers in the region due to poor weather over a sustained period.
Cabinet resumed at 4.30pm and concluded in time for me to trot down Baggot Street to attend the annual Meat Industry Ireland Christmas gathering. Despite the serious implications arising from Brexit for our meat industry the mood was upbeat and there was still much hope for progress evident despite heightened rhetoric in the media from certain quarters.
Early on Wednesday morning I sat down with Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy to discuss plans ahead of my visit to London on Thursday. At noon I joined the President and CEO of Macra na Feirme to help launch a Strategic Plan for the organisation, an event which stirred up much nostalgia for me, I must confess.
In the afternoon I addressed the Seanad on Climate Change matters and the Dail on the Horse and Greyhound industries, and dropped into the weekly Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting before attending in the Dail chamber for a late evening of votes up to and beyond 10pm.
London was calling on Thursday with two important events for our food exporters to the UK. Following a mid morning flight to Heathrow, we reached the Irish embassy in London on time for a high level meeting with significant figures from the retail and food service industry in the UK. Naturally, there was keen interest in the room regarding Ireland’s position on efforts to secure a deal on Brexit progress.
What those gathered didn’t know at this stage was that we were closing in on agreement.
Later Thursday night I had the pleasure of addressing a 400 strong crowd of our UK food and drinks customers where I restated the importance of the UK market to Irish interests.
It was an early start on Friday morning to take in proceedings in Brussels. It was interesting to be in London while all was unfolding.
With Brexit parked for a few hours I made haste from London to the Castle Hotel, Macroom to meet with my Department officials and the project team behind the new hen harrier scheme, which we officially launched on Jack Lynch’s farm in glorious winter sunshine.
Whilst in the west I made a quick detour to Baile Bhuirne, to meet with members of Naomh Aban GAA, to confirm some well received and deserved funding for the club’s development work.
It was back to Brexit, however, afterwards as I joined Matt Cooper on the Last Word to discuss the days proceedings and to reflect on a dramatic week. No mention of Naomh Aban, however!
On Sunday I braved the elements to travel to Dublin for an appearance on RTE’s The Week in Politics. With the snow laying heavy in the midlands, my appearance seemed in jeopardy for a time but fortunately I arrived in Montrose with time to spare in the end.
From the Studio it was straight to the airport to catch a flight to Brussels ahead of the annual December Fisheries Council. The drama is only beginning …