There will be three Irish MEPs on the EU’s agriculture committee.

Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen will be part of the Renew delegation, with Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly a substitute member, also for Renew.

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan will represent the Left (GUE-NGL) group, while Maria Walsh will represent Fine Gael and the EPP.

All four MEPs are from the Midlands North West constituency. None of the five MEPs from Ireland South have joined the agriculture committee.

Billy Kelleher.

Both Billy Kelleher (Fianna Fáil/Renew) and Seán Kelly (Fine Gael/EPP) are substitutes on the environment committee, which has much influence over agricultural policies and issues. Lynn Boylan (Sinn Féin/ The Left) is the only Irish MEP to be a full member of the environment committee.

Elected chair

Veronika Vrecioniva was elected chair of the agriculture committee on Tuesday.

The Czech MEP is a member of the European Conservatives and Reform (ECR) group, and was elected by 30 votes to eight, with some abstentions.

She succeeds the EPP’s Norbert Lins, who hails from Denmark. He was elected as one of the committee’s vice-chairs, along with EPP colleague Daniel Buda, from Romania, who will be the senior (first) vice-chair.

French Socialist Eric Sargiacomo was also elected as a vice-chair, with a fourth vice-chair to be appointed at a future meeting.

Declarations

Meanwhile, Billy Kelleher disclosed an income of €24,000 a year from farming in his public declaration as an MEP. Kelleher also revealed he gets €8,000 annually from shares in Kerry Co-op and Kerry Group.

Independent MEP Michael McNamara disclosed an income of €30,000 annually from farming, including agri-tourism.

Michael McNamara.

In addition to that and his Dáil salary, he also revealed annual earnings of €38,160 from work as a barrister. Cynthia Ní Mhurchú declared an income of €180,000 as a barrister.

Seán Kelly and Kathleen Funchion declared no income outside that of their work as an MEP and a TD respectively.

Ciaran Mullooly declared a combined income of €97,000 - €55,000 from work as a tourism activator for the EU’s Just Transition Fund, €38,000 as a social inclusion officer in Roscommon Integrated Development Company, and an estimated €5,000 from journalism.

Ciaran Mullooly.

Nina Carberry declared an annual income of €39,572 from Nina Carberry Racing Ltd.

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Barry Cowen and Maria Walsh declared income outside their earnings as politicians.