Minister Healy-Rae welcomes the appointment of Dr Owen Doyle as Chairperson of the Horticulture Education Leadership Group
- Published on: 5 February 2026
- Last updated on: 5 February 2026
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae TD, has welcomed the announcement that Dr Owen Doyle has been appointed the first Chairperson of the Horticulture Education Leadership Group (HELG).
Dr Doyle will serve a four-year term as Chairperson of the Horticulture Education Leadership Group and will lead the implementation of the recommendations in the 2025 Horticulture Education Review Report which he co-authored with Brian Arnold.
Commenting on the appointment, Minister Healy-Rae said:
“I welcome the appointment of Dr Doyle as Chairperson of the Horticulture Education Leadership Group. The National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 calls out the importance of education for our future horticulturists. Availability and suitability of the education offering is key to attracting talent into the sector, which in turn supports the competitiveness and sustainable development of the sector. Dr Doyle is well qualified to lead the important work of this group.”
Reporting to the Horticulture Industry Forum (HIF) sub-committee, Dr Doyle’s first task is to establish the HELG, which will include industry representation as well as representation from a broad spectrum of education and research institutes. Dr Doyle will be reaching out to relevant stakeholders in the coming weeks.
Dr Owen Doyle said:
“I am honoured to take on the role of Chairperson of the Horticulture Education Leadership Group at such a pivotal time for horticulture education. My focus will be on driving curriculum reform, fostering global alignment, and building strong partnerships that position horticulture as a dynamic, future-ready career. Together with colleagues, we can translate the vision of the 2025 Horticulture Education Review Report into actionable strategies that strengthen our education pipeline and enhance industry competitiveness.”
Notes to editor
- Established in 2014, the Horticulture Industry Forum (HIF) is a grower led forum representing all seven sub sectors of the Horticulture Industry.
- The HIF sub-committee is empowered to work on behalf of the HIF forum. It comprises representatives of Bord Bia, Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Irish Farmers Association and is chaired by a grower representative.
- The Horticulture Education Leadership Group chair was an open appointment by the HIF sub-committee (closing date for applications was 12 December 2025).
- The HIF sub-committee was instrumental in the development of the National Strategy for Horticulture and meets monthly to progress the eight Key Strategic Actions.
- The 2025 Horticulture Education Review arose from Key Strategic Action four of the National Strategy for Horticulture.