Former Macra president to replace McGuinness in European Parliament

Colm Markey, who was first elected to Louth County Council in 2009 and is a former president of Macra na Ferime, has been nominated to replace Mairead McGuinness following the announcement today that she is Ireland’s European Commissioner designate.

“I am deeply honoured at my appointment as one of Ireland’s MEPs for the Midlands-North West constituency and am committed to working hard for my constituents and to advancing Ireland’s interests at European level," he said today.

“I have worked closely with Mairead McGuinness for almost two decades and I wish her all the best in her new role as European Commissioner in what will be a crucial period with the challenges presented by Brexit and Covid-19 for the island of Ireland.

“My background is in agriculture so working on the crucial area of Brexit to secure the interests of Irish agriculture, fisheries, export businesses and the wider economy is vitally important to me.

“The negotiation of the next CAP agreement will be critically important for the next decade of farming and securing a deal that will continue to deliver on farm income, improvements in animal welfare, and better environmental outcomes, and that is something that I will also prioritise.

“Having served as chairman of a Leader local rural development company for four years, I learned so much about rural development and pursuing EU funding opportunities through community-led local development which I believe serves me in good stead in my new role.

“Coming from a border county, I am acutely aware of the challenges that the region faces and will ensure the voices of Irish citizens, local organisations and businesses are heard in the European Parliament.

“Through my business acumen and background as a family farmer, I understand how much we rely on Europe for direct and indirect job creation and that is one of the reasons I am delighted that I will have the opportunity to raise these issues in the European Parliament.

“I am looking forward to working with representatives from other member states as we build upon strengthening our cooperation and assisting with the Covid-19 recovery,” Mr Markey concluded.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said Mr Markey will be a great addition to Fine Gael’s team in the European Parliament.

“Fine Gael’s record in protecting Irish interests at European and international level is unrivalled. I know that Colm Markey will be a formidable force for the constituents of the Midlands North-West constituency and brings great experience to the table. Colm Markey brings a wealth of experience to the table and will be a formidable force for the constituents of the Midlands North-West constituency.

“He joins a hard working Fine Gael team with his four fellow MEPs; Sean Kelly, Deirdre Clune, Maria Walsh and Frances Fitzgerald. To follow in the footsteps of Mairead McGuinness will be an exciting challenge for Colm and I’m confident he will excel in his new role.” the Tánaiste said.

Commissioner-designate Mairead McGuinness has said she is honoured to have been selected by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as the Irish Commissioner-designate today.

Speaking from Brussels, Ms McGuinness said: " I want to thank President von der Leyen for the trust she is placing in me.

"The focus now is on the next steps in the European Parliament and Council.

"The financial services portfolio cuts across all policy areas. It is fundamental to European citizens, businesses, SMEs, and how the EU recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. The EU Green Deal will require sustainable finance to drive actions across all sectors of the economy.

"As an MEP for 16 years, I have seen at first-hand how the EU is a positive force for change. I have worked to strengthen cooperation between the EU institutions and to bring them closer to people."

"I want to thank An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan for putting my name forward with Andrew McDowell, a person for whom I have great respect.

"I will now focus on preparing for the European Parliament hearing and will not be making any further comment", McGuinness added.

Who is Colm Markey?

Colm Markey, 48, runs a family farm in Togher, County Louth. He was first elected to Louth County Council in 2009 as a councillor for the Mid-Louth area. Colm served as Chairperson of the Louth Leader partnership for four years which helped to establish over 200 sole traders and small businesses in that period. This gave him good experience in European-funded rural development, and he maintained regular contact with institutions in Europe.

As a former national president of Macra Na Feirme (2005-2007), he was responsible for negotiating on behalf of 8,000 members at both Government and European level. Colm believes in politics which brings accountability, minimises waste and inefficiency and seeks to bring a high level of debate to the public. Outside of politics, Colm is a season ticket holder with Dundalk FC, a member of Naomh Fionnbarra GAA club and a keen follower of the Louth senior GAA team. Colm was elected as Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council for 2017-18. Colm has two young children with his partner, Monaghan native Aisling.

Macra congratulates McGuinness

Macra na Feirme has welcomed the announcement today of former MEP and first vice president of the European Parliament Mairead Mc Guinness as the proposed new European Commissioner for Financial Services. Congratulating her on her appointment, President Thomas Duffy said the appointment of Ms McGuinness to such an important portfolio for Ireland was testament of her capability and vast political experience.

“Having a friend to the agricultural sector in the College of Commissioners is very important for Ireland especially at a time when agriculture faces critical challenges. Given the array of new European policies and strategies that are emerging, having a strong advocate on agriculture within the College is critical. Commissioner McGuinness has always been a champion of young farmer issues and very engaging with Macra na Feirme” said Duffy.