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Patrick steps out and Amii steps in

After much speculation over who would replace Patrick Donohue as special advisor to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, the appointment of Amii McKeever to the role has been greeted positively.

Amii brings a wealth of experience to her new appointment and is an astute and politically savvy performer. After various roles with IFA, IFJ and other organisations, she will provide advice and guidance to Minister McConalogue at a critical time in Irish agriculture. There are probably fewer than 18 months left in the life of the current Government so Amii will be keen to ensure that her new boss has no missteps in the coming period. We note from the interview conducted with Minister McConalogue for this edition of the Irish Farmers Monthly that he does not rule out further ambitions beyond agriculture. The Donegal electorate is volatile and McConalogue’s first priority is re-election. Then Fianna Fáil party members will ultimately decide on a new leader when Micháel Martin eventually relinquishes the position. We wish Patrick Donohue well on his return to Lakelands, where his recent experiences in the department will surely be put to good use.