Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I compliment the Minister on having achieved a good deal at the end of last month.

Obviously, there was much pressure to achieve that deal. If we had not achieved that deal, we would have been in serious difficulties going forward. It is important now to try to make the best of it and achieve as much as possible.

The Minister might refer to the reference year, which was a key issue for Ireland in the negotiations. The issue was raised at this committee on numerous occasions. I would like to think that in some way it fell into the final decision. When is the final decision on the reference year likely to be made?

Another big issue, which arises on a regular basis and which has become topical again in recent days, is the inspection regime in the whole system. I very much appreciate that when one is in receipt of large amounts of taxpayers' money there is justification for it, but there is a perception, whether right or wrong, that we are over-inspected in some areas. Could that be looked at or could a protocol be put in place so that people know exactly what is happening in advance of inspections?

We are heading into a new regime with regard to the payments system. As the Minister said, a new IT system has been put in place. There is the issue of bureaucracy and more paperwork. Are we starting from a green-field site, so to speak, in regard to the new application process? When the single farm payment began approximately 20 years ago, very complicated and detailed work had to be done. In recent years, it has become easier, and it can now be done online in a few minutes if there are no real changes from year to year. Will this new process create difficulties? As everybody knows, all most farmers want to do is farm, but obviously there is paperwork to be done. If it gets very complicated and messy, people get turned off. Will there be an easy system in order to qualify?

We have the single farm payment and a greening payment. Will two separate applications be required, for example? Will it be a matter of ticking boxes? We are probably at too early a stage to decide, but will it just be a matter of ticking boxes in order to qualify for the greening payment or whatever the case may be?

A key element, which must be welcomed, is the mandatory top-ups for young farmers. The Minister said that 6% of farmers in the EU were under 35 years of age. That is a major issue which must be addressed and I hope this will address it. It may not be just a matter for CAP, but there must be an incentive for farmers at the other end of the scale to move on or to pass the farm to younger farmers.

One of the key elements, which must be remembered, is that as a result of what we have got, productive farmers have been protected as much as possible. We need to achieve the Food Harvest 2020 targets. If we had achieved only part of what we achieved and what the Commissioner proposed in October and November 2011 - the flat rate system - our chances of achieving the Food Harvest 2020 targets would have been minimal. While the nuts and bolts need to be sorted out, the fact the productive farmer has been protected is important, as is the fact that there is flexibility to ensure farmers can get extra payments for whatever they may lose.

The consultation process in which the Minister went around the country selling his idea of the approximation model was a very worthwhile exercise. His timescale might be tighter on this occasion but he might consider a similar process.