Aidan O’Driscoll is leaving Agriculture House. The Department of Agriculture secretary general announced on Tuesday that he will be taking up the parallel position in the Department of Justice in September.

O’Driscoll succeeded Tom Moran in 2015, leading the successful CAP negotiation team. Working with fellow Corkmen Simon Coveney and Michael Creed, he has helped steer the transformation of our dairy sector, and the early achievement of Harvest 2020 targets, but there have been low points, not least the occupation of Agriculture House by grain farmers.

His new challenge may have him remembering such skirmishes fondly by Christmas. We wish him well.