Overwatch Report

AgTech Ireland

January–April

[Economic Development and Industry] Meeting with Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, his advisor Laura Mannion and senior Enterprise Ireland personnel.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Peter Burke', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'} {'name': 'Laura Mannion', 'role': 'Special Advisor (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'}

AgTech Ireland

January–April

[Agriculture] Meeting with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon and his officials Bill Calanan and John Muldowney.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Martin Heydon', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'Bill Callanan', 'role': 'Chief Inspector (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'Brian Purcell', 'role': 'Adviser to Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'}

AgTech Ireland

January–April

[Agriculture] Meeting with MEPs in Brussels to discuss the direction of EU CAP negotiations, environmental and agtech policies.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Barry Cowen', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Billy Kelleher', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Ciaran Mullooly', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Cynthia Ní Mhurchú', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Maria Walsh', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Nina Carberry', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} + 1 more

AgTech Ireland

January–April

[Agriculture] Letter to Minister Heydon on his appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Martin Heydon', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'}

AgTech Ireland

January–April

[Agriculture] Invitation to Minister Heydon to open the AgTech Ireland Conference "Transforming Agriculture with AI" on 21st May 2025 at the Curragh Racecourse.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Brian Purcell', 'role': 'Adviser to Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'Barry Cassidy', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'Martin Heydon', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'}

AgTech Ireland

May–August

[Agriculture] Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon around his participation as opening speaker at AgTech Ireland's Conference on AI in Agriculture

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Martin Heydon', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'}

AgTech Ireland

September–December

[Agriculture] Invitation to and participation of Minister for Agriculture M Heydon to fireside chat with AgTech Ireland members on occasion of 2025 AGM

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Martin Heydon', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'Brian Purcell', 'role': 'Adviser to Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'}

AgTech Ireland

September–December

[Agriculture] Informal invitation/encouragement to a few TDs to attend fireside chat with Minister Heydon just prior to AgTech Ireland AGM.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Peter 'Chap' Cleere", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Noel Grealish', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'William Aird', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

AgTech Ireland

September–December

[Agriculture] Engagement with Irish MEPs ahead of a delegation of AgTech Ireland member companies visiting the European Parliament in Brussels in January 2026.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Barry Cowen', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Maria Walsh', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Cynthia Ní Mhurchú', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Billy Kelleher', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Sean Kelly', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Ciaran Mullooly', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} + 4 more

AgTech Ireland

May–August

[Agriculture] AgTech Ireland Manifesto for Local and European Elections

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'An email was sent to all Oireachtas members, with particular focus on party leaders, relevant ministers and spokes people on agriculture, enterprise, the environment etc. It was also shared with the main party offices.'}

AgTech Ireland

September–December

[Agriculture] Pre-Budget 2025 Submission

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Jack Chambers', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)'} {'name': 'Niall Collins', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science)'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Charlie McConalogue', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': "Darragh O'Brien", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)'} {'name': 'Paschal Donohoe', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'} + 21 more

AgTech Ireland

September–December

[Agriculture] General Election Manifesto - Understanding the transformative impact of agtech on Irish agriculture

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Jack Chambers', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Finance)'} {'name': 'Niall Collins', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science)'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': 'Charlie McConalogue', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': "Darragh O'Brien", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)'} {'name': 'Paschal Donohoe', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'} + 19 more

MSD

January–April

[Agriculture] Hosted by Colm Markey MEP in Brussels to discuss the position of agtech in Ireland and Europe’s ecosystem. AgTech Ireland is the first EU organisation dedicated to the agtech needs of an EU member state. The topics which were most prominent were: 1. CAP 2. Animal welfare 3. Organics 4. Genomics 5. EU Data Act 6. Agri Data Space 7. Veterinary Big Data Strategy 8. Farm Sustainability Network 9. Carbon Farming.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Colm Markey', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Sean Kelly', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Billy Kelleher', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'}

AgTech Ireland

January–April

[Agriculture] CAP grants (TAMS) for on-farm equipment

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Charlie McConalogue', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'}

AgTech Ireland

January–April

[Agriculture] Visit to Brussels with AgTech Ireland members, hosted by Colm Markey, MEP. During the visit, the group also engaged with MEP Sean Kelly, MEP Billy Kelleher and EU Commissionner for Financial Stability Mairead McGuinness.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Colm Markey', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Billy Kelleher', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Sean Kelly', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'}

AgTech Ireland

May–August

[Finance] Met with Michael McGrath Minister for Finance at Kildare Chamber of Commerce President's lunch 17/05/2023

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Michael McGrath', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Finance)'}

AgTech Ireland

January–April

[Agriculture] Meeting organised by Brendan O'Connell, CEO, AgriTech New Zealand, following from Minister's McConalogue's St Patrick's Day visit to New Zealand.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Brendan Gleeson', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'Bill Callanan', 'role': 'Chief Inspector (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'}

AgTech Ireland

September–December

[Agriculture] Importance of agtech to the sustainability of agriculture, importance of ensuring policy, taxation and research promotes a favourable environment for the development of agtech.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': "Invitations to a lobbying session in Buswell's hotel on 13th December 2023 were emailed to all Oireachtas members on a few occasions.\nIndividual responses were engaged with by email."}

Lobbying Tracker

Most Lobbied TDs