Who is next for Agriculture House?

With the counting of votes now complete, farmers want to know who the next Minister for Agriculture will be.

Assuming another Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael-led administration, it’s odds-on that one of those two parties will take the agriculture portfolio. Why? It’s a big-spending portfolio, with the minister in question plugged into rural communities in every parish across the country.

Both Micheál Martin and Simon Harris repeatedly said during the campaign that agriculture would be a priority in the next government.

So who are the contenders? Let’s start with Fine Gael, on the grounds that the parties might swap some portfolios between them. The first name is Martin Heydon, who topped the poll in Kildare south.

He has been working within the Department as Minister of State for the last four and half years, he understands the fairly unique political dynamic within Irish agriculture and has an excellent grasp of what is a bewildering range of issues.

That would prove an advantage with Mercosur, an immediate priority at European-level and a nitrates derogation negotiation to be pursued throughout 2025.

On the rise

Heydon is closer to Simon Harris than he was to Leo Varadkar, so his star may be on the rise. A farmer himself, he has made no secret of the fact that it would be his dream job.

Heydon’s major obstacle is that there is little room for promotion to cabinet within Fine Gael, so perhaps we would have to look within the outgoing cabinet for our next agriculture minister.

That quickly narrows the field - it won’t be Pascal Donohoe. Perhaps Peter Burke, who not only topped the poll in Longford-Westmeath, but brought in a running mate too. An accountant by trade, he manages the family suckler herd.

Helen McEntee is also from a rural constituency and grew up on a farm. Following her late father Shane into Agriculture House, where he served as a minister of state, would be a proud and poignant moment.

Or perhaps maybe Patrick O’Donovan. From Limerick county, with qualifications in chemistry and teaching, would the chemistry between him and farmers be right? Mayo’s Alan Dillon is an outside shot, maybe more familiar with football fields than farming fields.

Fianna Fáil

If Fianna Fáil retains the agriculture portfolio, would another Mayo man step forward, Dara Calleary.

There was sympathy when he resigned as minister only three weeks after being appointed following his attendance at the infamous Golfgate dinner, and the reasons he was appointed then still apply.

Niall Collins, like O’Donovan, is a Limerick county TD, not from a farming background.

Norma Foley might hanker for the teachers’ unions if she has to deal with the IFA et al for the next few years.

The more you look at it, the more Charlie McConalogue looks like the most qualified Fianna Fáil candidate for the agriculture minister’s job.

He delivered big funding increases for schemes to farmers, which set the tone for the auction politics of the election manifesto commitments for agriculture for all the parties.

Would the devil they know be better for farmers after all? And would he want to do it all again?