Replying to a question on the upcoming Budget 2016 from the Irish Farmers Journal at the event, Minister Howlin said the budget will include further measures to ensure the sustainability of Irish agriculture.

“Obviously, we’ve been looking at agriculture as our prime industry,” said Howlin. “We met with all the agricultural interest groups in advance of the budget, taking careful note of what will sustain agriculture as an economic driver and we have been taking appropriate measures that will be announced on Tuesday.”

Howlin said agriculture has, in general, been well supported by the current coalition Government. “Generally speaking, agriculture has been very well supported by this Government, even during such dire times,” he said. “In negotiating the multi-annual framework at EU level, rural development is very much at the heart of what Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney negotiated and I matched with state co-funding. So, we have a very robust set of funding for rural Ireland.”

The minister was speaking at the launch of a €7.5m proposed development of Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford today. Teagasc, the national agricultural research body which owns the castle on behalf of the State, is partnering with the Irish Heritage Trust and the Irish Agricultural Museum, to undertake major conservation work on the castle and to develop the heritage and tourism potential of it for the southeast. Teagasc is working closely with Fáilte Ireland on the proposed development.

Ownership of the castle changed many times since it was built by the Esmonde family in 1169. In 1945, it was gifted to the state and set up and run as a horticultural college until 1960. It was subsequently used for agricultural research.

Speaking at the launch, Teagasc chair Dr Noel Cawley said: “Over the last 20 years, Teagasc’s environmental research work has been transferred into purpose-built laboratories and office facilities, leaving the castle itself available for this exciting new development.”

Funding of €5m is available for the project through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and a request for €2.5m in Fáilte Ireland funding is being considered by its board. Development work will take place in five zones – the castle, the pleasure grounds, the walled garden, the stable yard and farm, and the lower lake. The development phase of the project will run from autumn 2015 to mid-2017.