Tag Archives: Pippa Hackett

MORE Irish people are interested in producing home-grown fruit and vegetables, according to the new manager of Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA), Elaine Bradley. Four weeks ago, Ms Bradley was appointed the new manager of ISSA and learned via a Guaranteed Irish webinar, that Bord Bia believes the renewed interest in producing home-grown food isn’t a flash in the pan. Earlier this year, she recalled seeds produced by ISSA sold out very quickly. She explained the big difference with seeds produced by ISSA is consumers can use them again and again. “Our seed has adapted over the millennia to the environment and climatic conditions of the country. One of the positive things of the lockdown was it gave us time to pause and take stock of our lives and what we want. “A lot of people have started growing food in their gardens, spending more time outdoors and researching where food is coming from. “People are concerned about climate change, …

A CLARE farm leader has taken issue with comments made by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Pippa Hackett, over controversial proposals to address Climate Change. In an interview with The Clare Champion, Minister Hackett said Ireland has to meet its Climate Change targets under the Paris Agreement and couldn’t control what happens in Brazil, which has to meet its own environmental obligations. “Ireland has to do what we can. Using Carbon Leakage not to take any action is a waste of time in my book and the government’s book, I am discounting that. “Ireland’s grasslands are a net emitter of carbon. We farm on a lot of peaty soils. When that is drained, that emits carbon. I think over the last 15 years we probably have lost more hedgerows than we have planted.” However, her comments have been challenged by Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) general secretary, Eddie Punch. Minister Hackett believes there is probably …

THE government can’t control beef prices for farmers, according to Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Pippa Hackett. Senator Hackett, who is a beef suckler and sheep farmer, supports better labelling for grass-fed produced beef because she believes consumers are entitled to know how an animal was reared, on pasture or in a shed, and how it was slaughtered. Acknowledging the Bord Bia label, she believes work is needed to increase the standard of labelling by providing a lot more information to consumers in the future. She said the switch to organic farming on her Offaly farm, which has 35 suckler cows and 200 sheep on 200 acres, has resulted in considerable savings and had made their farm more profitable. However, she acknowledged organic farming is not an option for all farmers. In an interview with The Clare Champion, she described the centralisation of meat processing as a huge problem and a “mistake”. “Previously, we had local abattoirs …

RÓISÍN Garvey admits she is “still in shock” with her nomination to Seanad Eireann and acknowledges it will take her a while to get used to being called Senator Garvey. On Saturday, Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan contacted her around 3pm to inform her she would be going to the Seanad as one of the 11 Taoiseach nominees and only told her parents as she joked “people are very bad at keeping secrets, particularly good ones”. “I felt really good for the people who helped me in politics. When I lost the General Election I had about 100 supporters helping me. They were nearly more disappointed than me that I didn’t become a Dáil deputy. I think this is a boost for them. “I can now work on legislation that will help local authorities. Being a senator is an important role,” she said. She is just the third Clare female Senator following in the footsteps of Tras Honan and Madeleine …