Minister McConalogue to seek cabinet approval for appointment of Agri Food Regulator



Donegal TD and Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue will seek Cabinet approval today for the appointment of an Agri Food Regulator.

 

If the appointment is approved Companies deemed to be involved in unfair trading in the agriculture sector could face fines of up to ten million euro.

 

 

The Regulator will have powers to investigate things like late payments to farmers, misuse of trade secrets and unfair contract changes.

 

Fines of up to ten million euro or ten per cent of turnover can then be levied by the regulator.

 

Interviews for CEO of the regulator will happen shortly and it’s been given a budget of four million euro for 2023.

 

This morning’s cabinet meeting will also discuss extending the social welfare Christmas bonus to those on long term illness benefit.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will extend the annual double payment to those who have been on illness benefit for 12 months or more.

Those people will get a double payment in line with other welfare payments in early December.

The unwinding of restrictions on benefits for bankers will also be discussed this morning by the cabinet.

Pay has been capped at 500,000 euro a year at the three bailed out banks which survived the crash – Bank of Ireland, AIB and Permanent TSB.

 

However, this cap is expected to be lifted at Bank of Ireland now that the State has sold its stake in the bank.

 

It’s expected Minister Donohoe will tell colleagues restrictions on other banks will also be lifted when the Government sells a certain percentage of its remaining stake.

 

 



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