Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I asked about the establishment of the all-island wool council. I note that in the Seanad the Minister of State spoke about stakeholder engagement, but there seems to be a lack of clarity on the all-island aspect of that. The Sinn Féin spokesperson for agriculture in the North raised the matter and was told that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, is considering the review and plans to engage with the Department here. What level of engagement has the Minister of State had with DEFRA and what stage are the discussions at? I ask this because if the recommendations contained within the report are to achieve the objectives, then we must ensure that all of the stakeholders are involved. I appreciate that the Minister of State says a meeting is due to take place next week with those involved in the all-island process who are ready and willing to get it under way but I seek clarity on what has been done and the proposed timeframe in which she proposes to achieve the spirit of the study itself.

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