New “food fairness Czar” is to be appointed today to defend farmers and other suppliers

Agriculture Minister, Charlie McConalogue, will announce the appointment of Dr Niamh Lenehan, to head the new office billed as having widespread powers. These include levying heavy fines on buyers, including retailers, food producers and processors who engage in unfair trading practices with farmers and other suppliers.

The new office of An Rialálaí Agraibhia, or Agri-Food Regulator, will have powers to investigate breaches such as late payments to suppliers, misuse of trade secrets, commercial retaliation, and unilateral contract changes. Legislation has almost cleared the Dáil to merge existing powers from various other government sections.

Enabling legislation, called Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022, will formally establish the new independent statutory body, headed by Dr Lenehan who is appointed on an interim until the law shortly takes effect. Ultimately, she will also have the power to carry out analysis and reporting of price and market data concerning the food chain in Ireland and aimed at enhancing market fairness and transparency.

It is intended to strengthen the position of farmers, fishermen and women and other suppliers against larger buyers who have much greater bargaining power. The legislation has been criticised as “inadequate” Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy and Independent TD for Clare, Michael McNamara, who is also a barrister.

But Agriculture Minister, Charlie McConalogue, has said he wants to deliver a regulator who will do everything possible to ensure farmers get fair play in their business relations with processors and retailers.

The Minister said it will be the first time in the State’s history to a statutory independent food regulator working to bring food supply chain transparency. He said Niamh Lenehan has come through a competitive recruitment process and had impressive qualifications and experience.

From Co Meath, Niamh Lenehan was last with the Insolvency Service of Ireland working on policy and regulation. She holds a doctoral degree in education from Maynooth University, with a BA in agriculture from UCD, Masters in agriculture from Kansas State University.