MEP Maria Walsh welcomed European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen to Dublin today for an event with Irish farmers on the key issues facing the agriculture sector.
Commissioner Hansen and MEP Walsh met with industry stakeholders, including young farmers, to discuss a range of topics including generational renewal, mental health and sustainability, among other key topics impacting the agricultural sector.
MEP Maria Walsh, full member of the Agriculture Committee in the European Parliament said:
“I’m thrilled to welcome European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen to Ireland, following my invitation to him last year. While some may feel Brussels is disconnected from the daily realities faced by Irish farmers, the new Agriculture Commissioner has now visited an Irish farm and met with Irish farmers within just two months of assuming his role.
“Given my work on agriculture in the European Parliament, it was crucial to me that the Commissioner met directly with those impacted by EU policy – especially young Irish farmers and small farm families.
“Generational renewal and farmers’ mental health were two of our main focuses today. Bringing young people to the decision making table is a long-standing priority for me, so it was great that Commissioner Hansen heard directly from these young farmers today.
“Farmers shared their concerns around access to finance and land, market prices and income security, and the mental and physical toll of farming. The mental health of farmers is often overlooked, yet we’re on the verge of a mental health crisis in our agriculture community, particularly amongst young farmers in rural Ireland. It is stealing young people of their futures and leaving devastated families in the wake.
“For the first time ever, and after years of lobbying, farmers’ mental health is now on the political agenda. From my conversations with Commissioner Hansen, I know he has a unique and personal understanding of this issue. It is crucial that this empathy now translates into tangible solutions and financial investment from the Commission over the coming months.
“I hope today was the first of many visits by Commissioner Hansen to Ireland over this five year mandate, and I look forward to continuing my close work with him here and in Brussels.”
