Barry Cowen has said he had an opportunity within the Department of Agriculture, which he “relished” and “was beginning to get my teeth into”.

Cowen told Midlands 103 on Saturday morning that he is not a victim, but that his sacking by Taoiseach Micheál Martin over a drink-driving offence was “the consequence of an unfortunate mistake that I’ve paid a dear price for”.

“I had an opportunity within the Department of Agriculture, which I relished, which I was looking forward to and which I was beginning to get my teeth into.

“You know I will of course help and assist the existing minister, the existing Government, to realise some of that ambition I had in relation to CAP negotiations, in relation to the issues around Brexit, in relation to the beef industry and in relation to the Irish agriculture and food industry and the marine system,” he said.

Ambition

Cowen said that having spoken to the major stakeholders involved in that sector and the Commission representatives in Europe, there was an opportunity to improve the well-being of the agriculture sector.

“There were avenues open to us to advance the well-being of that sector to ensure farm families maintain and improve their incomes by matching their ambition with that of environmental ambition, with production systems, with consumer sentiment around the country and around the world to continue to ensure that the product that emerges from that within Ireland is and continues to be the world leader that it is.”

Rectification

Cowen said there are some outstanding issues in relation to his drink-driving offence and that there are processes by which he is seeking rectification.

“But ultimately, it’s a hard price to pay for such an event. You know, I've apologised on many occasions.

“And I’ll do so again to my constituents and to the general public for that lapse of judgement, but having said that, you know, I’m in public life and you to put yourself out there. You have to accept and appreciate the way in which you’re held to account,” he said.

“You pick yourself up, dust yourself down and you move on,” he said.

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Minister for Agriculture Barry Cowen sacked