Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the context of the Food Wise 2025 targets and given that the agrifood sector is our largest indigenous employer, it is crucial that we work with our European partners to plug the gap in funding that will arise after the UK leaves the Union, which could potentially amount to some €3 billion under the CAP budget, and that we live up to our responsibility to contribute more if necessary.

Will the Tánaiste comment specifically on current Government spending under the CAP programme up to 2020? As Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine at the time, he committed to spend €1.4 billion under GLAS. It is crystal clear, following replies to parliamentary questions in recent weeks, that the Department will fall €380 million short of delivering on that promise. It is absolutely unacceptable that the Government should not live up to the promise made by the Tánaiste, when he was in the Department, and on which the now Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, is obliged to follow through. There are other things that can be done with that funding, including, as I suggested, increasing the disadvantaged payment through the ANC scheme, reopening GLAS and enhancing payments for suckler cows under the BGDP. Will the Tánaiste, working with the Minister, Deputy Creed, ensure the promise he made is lived up to and that funding is delivered? Farmers must not be shortchanged on what was promised to them.

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