Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 485: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to Parliamentary Question No. 76 of the 10 June 2010, his views on the level of service provided to Clare farmers following the centralisation of services to the Department's Limerick office; his plans to introduce a satellite service to County Clare to assist farmers who have to travel long distances to access services since the closure of the Department's Ennis office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39834/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A major rationalisation plan for my Department was approved by Government last year. This plan involves a comprehensive restructuring of the Department's local office network and provides a fully integrated service to our farming clients and the wider agri-food and rural environmental sectors at regional level. The plan involves reducing, from 57 to 16, the number of offices from which the Department will operate. Services formerly provided by my Department at Ennis are since the 19th of March of this year being provided by my Department's regional office at Raheen, Limerick, and I am satisfied that farmers in Co. Clare will continue to receive an excellent service from the enhanced regional office in Limerick.