Ministers Heydon and Grealish open building extension in Teagasc Moorepark
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Food Promotion, New Markets, Research and Development, Noel Grealish TD have opened a new €3.17 million facility at Teagasc Moorepark. The extension to the Paddy O Keeffe Innovation Centre for the advancement of Irish Grassland and Dairying is set to enhance Teagasc capacity in research for the Irish agri-food sector.
Official opening of a €3.17 million extension to the Paddy O' Keeffe Innovation Centre for the advancement of Irish Grassland and Dairying to enhance Teagasc’s capacity in research for the Irish agri-food sector.
The new development was officially opened by Ministers Heydon and Grealish in a ceremony attended by stakeholders from across the agri-food industry, research community, and local government.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Heydon said: “My Department in collaboration with the Irish Agri Food sector will continue to invest in science-based solutions in order for the agricultural sector to embrace the challenges and opportunities it faces now and into the future. My Department is happy to support the investment in research and innovation facilities, helping to underpin the development of the Agri Food Sector.”
Minister of State Grealish said: “I am delighted to mark the opening of this €3.17 million extension to the Paddy O Keeffe Innovation Centre for the advancement of Irish Grassland and Dairying. The extension will provide important new facilities for researchers and associated support staff, many of whom are working on projects funded by my own Department. It will ensure that Ireland continues to stand out globally as a leader in sustainable, competitive and technologically driven grassland dairy research.”
Funded in part by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, this modern facility reflects the government’s continued commitment to investing in Ireland’s agricultural research and development infrastructure. The building is part of the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation centre in Moorepark which is located just outside Fermoy, County Cork.
The area of the building is 658 m2 resulting in a space that can accommodate up to 50 staff and research students and contains:
- Modern office facilities
- Collaborative work areas for research teams
- Environmentally sustainable design features
- Enhanced facilities for stakeholder engagement and outreach
The new facility will be used to accommodate researchers, post doctorate researchers and post graduate students. This facility will allow Teagasc to expand its programme and invest in science based solutions for the agri-food sector in Ireland. The new facilities were required as a result in an expansion of the research programme at Teagasc Moorepark particularly with the recently announced phase 2 of VistaMilk resulting in additional people being based at Teagasc Moorepark.
Professor Frank O Mara, Director of Teagasc said: “Investment in facilities underpins the research programme in Teagasc and allows greater ambition when planning research activities. It is just 10 years since the Paddy O Keefe Innovation Centre was first opened and since then, the research programme has grown from strength driven by ever changing challenges in the Agri food industry.”
The facility is now fully operational and at capacity and will support Teagasc’s ongoing work in delivering science-based solutions for the Irish agri-food sector.