Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We all agree that housing, health and the Covid challenge remain the big issues for this House. The twin issues of CAP and the climate action Bill are very much banging on the door at the moment. For the farmers of County Longford and, indeed, rural Ireland generally, we must get value and a meaningful dividend from these CAP negotiations. The IFA has been in the vanguard of pursuing the interests of farmers. Over recent months, the CAP negotiations and the climate action Bill have manifested as the two big issues for farmers.

Last week, I met many Longford farmers as they came into town to highlight their position and fears. There are real fears in farm households. There are real fears that this CAP programme may be the death knell for one of our few remaining indigenous industries. CAP is about income and how we manage the environment. It is critical that any eco-schemes proposed will see in excess of 30% CAP Pillar 1 funding ring-fenced for environmental measures. As previous Members have said, it is important that no farmer is excluded from this and that none of the money for this pillar should seep out in terms of compliance measures either. Time and time again, we heard the word “convergence” used here today. I hope that the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, will champion 75% internal convergence in the negotiations.

Moving on to Pillar 2, we must commit to maximising national co-financing of these schemes. We must ensure these schemes are funded to the maximum level under CAP. While Fáilte Ireland and the hospitality sectors are at great pains to make much of our green image, that image was not painted overnight. Rather, it was down to the determination and commitment of generations of farm families throughout this country. For the midlands and Longford, it is critical that there is no restriction on normal farming activity on peatlands arising from the implementation of the good agricultural and environmental conditions compliance. The genuine farmer must be put front and centre in these negotiations. We must see the phasing out of long-term leasing of entitlements. Farmers who have built up and are working their entitlements should not be penalised.

This debate is joined at the hip with the climate action Bill. As a party, Fianna Fáil made much of the commitment in the programme for Government to allocate €1.5 billion, over the next ten years, to a new agri-environmental scheme. This must be in addition to CAP Pillar 2. It has been noted that we are already falling behind in this commitment, one year into the Government’s term. These are worrying times for farmers and farm families. As a Government, we must stand shoulder to shoulder with the farming community that has built this great nation.

See this speech in context