Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to come back in on one matter, on which I did not touch in my earlier contribution, in relation to the Common Agricultural Policy. My major reservation - I disagree with Deputy Éamon Ó Cúiv, for whom I have great respect - is the notion that the European Commission is pushing allowing this to devolve to member states and increasing flexibility, as outlined in the reply of Ms Brown and also specifically in relation to the top-up which would be a charter for the dismantling of the Common Agricultural Policy in the long term. What one is effectively saying is that we will opt out and have a minimum payment and that member states can do it. The obvious implication is that wealthier member states will be able to progressively support their farmers and on a far better level than poorer member states. Eventually in the round after this, perhaps in five years' time, somebody will say the last time we cut the figure by 5% and the member states that were able to afford it topped it up by 10%. Therefore, we will do it again. What we will end up with after a series of two or three EU budgets is a situation where the concept of equality and having a level playing field under the Common Agricultural Policy, under which European farmers are supported on an equal basis to drive up incomes, will effectively be undermined. What we will then have is disparity where farmers in wealthier member states will become much wealthier and farmers in poorer member states will become poorer. That is a real risk. Therefore, I caution against any move by the European Commission or member states to go down that route. If we do go down that route, we will need to be very up-front and say the CAP, as it stands, will not play a part in the future of the European Union, that it will be a member state top-up, with a cap as an anchor point but not at the heart of it.