Government formation talks have at last addressed farming.

Representatives of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party met on Monday for four hours.

The atmosphere was described as “positive”, with good engagement across a range of issues.

However both of the two-hour sessions failed to get to grips with the big issue of how to mesh a plan for farming with the stated aim to reduce total national emissions by 7% for every year in the administration’s lifetime. The session ended with no arrangement for a follow-up session, and no arrangement for “sidebar” talks to progress specific sticking points.

Both of the two-hour sessions failed to get to grips with the big issue of how to mesh a plan for farming with the stated aim to reduce total national emissions

The Green Party would feel its hand has been strengthened since the general election by the publication by the European Commission of the Green Deal, with its commitments on organic farming and the overall reduction of the use of fertilisers and pesticides.

The party remains bruised by its last experience in government. It was a surprise that hare coursing became such a hot topic on Monday, as it was precisely this kind of prioritisation of such issues that was seen as distracting or deflecting from progress on the big environmental issues in the 2007-2011 Fianna Fáil/Green Party/PD coalition.

The session ended with no arrangement for a follow-up session, and no arrangement for “sidebar” talks

All sides are aware that negative spinning only damages the chances of any final deal being endorsed by the membership of all three parties.

The teams

Fianna Fáil’s negotiating team comprised Dara Calleary, agriculture spokeman Charlie McConalogue and Barry Cowen. The Fine Gael team was Tánaiste Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, and Heather Humphreys. Eamon Ryan led the Green Party delegation, joined by Senator Pippa Hackett, who is the party agriculture spokesperson, and Marc Ó Cathasaigh.