Kilkenny Senator Malcolm Noonan has been appointed the Green Party’s new spokesperson for Agriculture, Food, the Marine, Heritage, and Nature.
Party leader Roderic O’Gorman confirmed the appointment, highlighting Noonan’s strong track record on environmental and heritage issues.
The former Carlow-Kilkenny TD served as Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform in the last government and was elected to the Agricultural Panel of the Seanad earlier this year.
The Green Party Senator says it’s an expansive portfolio but he relishing the challenges ahead.
“Looking forward to the challenge ahead, obviously, there are huge challenges around farming, the sustainability of farming, and how farming will meet the challenges around climate, nature, water quality over the next number of years”, he said, “but I think there’s a great opportuinty there, and I think we would have done an awful lot of really good work there with farm organisations and with farmers on the ground.”
Mr. Noonan said he looks forward to championing sustainable practices and protecting Ireland’s natural environment in his new role.
He concluded by saying “I’m looking forward to bringing all of that experience to it, and I’m looking forward to the bigger picture on the sustainability of farming, on the retention of the nitrates derogation and ensuring that farm families can have a viable and long-term future.”
