In a farming county like Galway the last place farm development offices and agricultural services should be centralised to is in the heart of Galway city according to Fine Gael Galway East TD Paul Connaughton.
This week the Department of Agriculture announced that it will close its farm development offices in Tuam, Loughrea, and Athenry by the end of the year and transfer staff and services to the department offices at Dock Street, Galway.
“I am flabbergasted by the decision,” said Deputy Connaughton. “It will cause immense logistical problems for farmers and staff, not to mention the traffic jams it will cause around the docks in Galway city.”
Dep Connaughton said the decision to close the offices in Tuam, Loughrea, and Athenry shows the Department of Agriculture “in a very poor light” as these offices provided “valuable decentralised services” that have been “part and parcel of the farming business” for years.
“The Government is going for a total disconnect with the farming industry,” he said. “There is every reason to believe there will very few grant aided schemes in the future.”
Dep Connaughton said the original decision by the Department of Agriculture to relocate its former office in Hynes Building to Dock Street was “poorly thought out”.
“It should have been relocated to Mellows College in Athenry and this new decision highlights the importance of making strategic decisions before such moves are made,” he said. “It now looks like Tuam will not alone lose its farm development office but also its Teagasc office which now looks under threat as well.”
