Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Newsome Drennan for raising these points. I acknowledge her comments on ACRES. As I have said already, I want to fix the problems once and for all to make sure they do not reoccur and that we learn from it for the design of future schemes. We have made progress but I will not be happy until the last case is resolved. I will continue to work full square to do this.

With regard to the Mercosur trade deal, I am happy to put my views on it on the record at the committee. I have done so in the House on numerous occasions. We have a programme for Government that explicitly references the Government's position on Mercosur and this has not changed. I have articulated it to Commission officials and at the AGRIFISH Council with regard to the concerns and the challenges. I did this as recently as last Monday in Brussels. I have also had bilateral meetings with my counterpart ministers for agriculture from other countries. Ultimately, the Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has responsibility for all things trade but I would not be doing my job if I did not articulate the concerns of farmers and their views on this. I have said previously, with regard to farmers who have shown great ambition in the area of increased conditionality and requirements on the environmental side, that the impact of the various standards that could come in through Mercosur are very hard to accept. These are points I have articulated and I continue to engage with colleagues from like-minded countries. As the legal scrubbing of the text continues, there is still significant process to go through in Brussels, and trade ministers, the Council of Europe and the Parliament have a role to play in the process. I cannot be any clearer than I have been previously.

One of the biggest issues facing us in the agricultural sector is having a well-funded proper CAP. As I said in my opening statement, the structure is very important also. The structure has served us very well. What I have clearly articulated in the past is that just as with Commissioner Hansen's vision for agriculture, it is very understandable when other Commissioners and member states speak about increased demand on spending on defence and security. In particular, eastern bloc countries close to Russia have increased their spending in this area and expect Europe to follow suit.

I feel, as a peace project, which is what the EU is, that food security is a key part of the discussion on security and defence. You take food security for granted at your peril. We should not do that by allowing a cut in the overall budget there. What the overall budget looks like will influence the final CAP. The MFF is a key process that is happening at the moment. Where member states end up and what they contribute to the overall budget will determine how much is in the budget, with all the different demands that are on it.

I have been clear that we need a fully funded CAP that supports our farmers. The best way to do that is to stick with the separate fund and the two pillars that have traditionally served our sector so well over the years. They have supported our farmers, in the context of science and innovation, to deliver for the environment and produce top-quality food and drink. From that perspective, we are engaging across Government. The Taoiseach recently met Ursula von der Leyen. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has a key role to play to play on ECOFIN in engaging with colleagues about the MFF.

From my perspective, the AGRIFISH Council continues to advocate for that structure to be maintained. At last Monday’s meeting of the Council, which Commissioner Hansen attended along with the 27 ministers for agriculture from across the EU member states, there was effective unanimity across all the member states that a separate fund with two pillars should be maintained. Do not take for granted that all 27 member states are on the same page. We are agriculture ministers, so of course we will want our sector to be well funded and of course Commissioner Hansen will want that. I absolutely believe him when he says he wants that. There are other priorities and elements, but I believe we really strengthened his hand by having that level of unanimity following the discussion we had on the CAP during the private session at lunchtime. He has gone back to the Commission with that strong message to deliver but this is a challenging space, which is why no stone is being left unturned by Government.