Taoiseach to attend Fine Gael event in Kildare hotel tomorrow

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is in Maynooth tomorrow to attend a Fine Gael special conference on rural Ireland.

The opportunities and challenges facing rural Ireland and the agriculture sector will be discussed at the event in the Glenroyal Hotel ahead of the Fine Gael Ard Fheis next April.

The Taoiseach will be joined by ministers, members of the parliamentary party, councillors and Fine Gael members to debate on how the party can deliver for rural Ireland.

Themes up for discussion include: ‘Stronger, Safer Communities’, ‘Farming and the next Generation’, ‘Thriving Rural Ireland’ and ‘EU and Food Security’.

The debates will feature farmers, business and community leaders and academics.

The Taoiseach said: “This Saturday’s Special Conference is a fantastic opportunity for our members, councillors and parliamentary party members to come together to listen and engage on issues facing rural Ireland and the farming and food sectors.

“Delivering for rural Ireland is one of my party’s priorities and central to that is ensuring that rural communities are vibrant places to live, work and raise a family.

“One of my first actions as Taoiseach was to establish the Department of Rural and Community Development, which has grown and expanded since and remains led by a Fine Gael Minister.”

The Taoiseach added that Brexit and the war in Ukraine has created a unique challenge for the Irish farming sector.

“In Government our party has done its utmost both at home and at European level to mitigate the most severe effects of issues around market access and input costs – unique challenges that were caused by Brexit and the war in Ukraine.”

The inaugural AGM of the Fine Gael Women’s Network will also be held at the conference.