Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has taken careful note of the submissions received from all the farming organisations and, indeed, from all stakeholders. They have been useful in highlighting the main concerns and preferred options of the farming and wider agri-food sector. Of course, there are variations between the positions taken by different stakeholders and it is the job of the Minister to steer a course that will deliver a policy that will be fit for purpose and that will underpin the future of Irish and European farming.

Let me remind Deputies that Ireland's priorities at the outset of these negotiations were to ensure, in so far as possible, sufficient Common Agricultural Policy financial resources to support sustainable food production in the EU and in Ireland; flexibility for member states on farm payment models and transition arrangements; and a rural development policy that effectively supports competitiveness and sustainability. I am pleased to state that substantial progress has been made in delivering on all these priorities. Although the budget agreement has yet to be endorsed by the European Parliament, there is no question but that a substantial budget has been secured for the CAP, including in excess of €11 billion for Ireland over the coming period.

As to the other elements, next week in Luxembourg and Brussels, the Minister will seek to achieve political agreement between the three EU institutions on the Common Agricultural Policy reform package in order to deliver a rural development regulation that will provide the scope for Ireland to implement a rural development programme which targets support to Irish farmers to assist them in increasing their competitiveness and improving their sustainability and deliver a payment model that is fair to Irish farmers and supports sustainable intensification and active farming by ensuring a fairer distribution of direct payments while avoiding abrupt, large losses to higher paid farmers.

As to the effects of future WTO negotiations, with the current round of negotiations stalled, it is difficult at this point to imagine a situation in which a WTO outcome will have a major impact on the current CAP reform package.

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