Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have been involved with farming organisations while a farmer. I once said to a politician that if one does not wear a pair of wellingtons, one does not know what farming is about. Being involved in CAP negotiations through farm organisations down through the years, I always wanted to make sure that the family farm was sustainable. It has not been sustainable, and it is not sustainable because of previous CAP agreements. If this does not change, will we be in the same situation where some farmers receive €250,000 to €300,000?

I know the Department stated recently in an agriculture and marine committee meeting recently that one must accept that this will not make a big difference if it is distributed, but that is the whole point. The mindset is that some farmers can make between €250,000 and €300,000 or more. Some 40% of farmers, as the Minister knows, are receiving between €1,500 to €5,000. It is an insane situation that some receive between €250,000 to €300,00 while 40% of Irish farmers receive between €1,500 to €5,000. That is why family farms are no longer sustainable. I am pleading with the Minister to ensure that this changes. There must be a cap on payments of between €60,000 and €80,000, but there is no point on putting a cap on them if one turns around and gives the payments in some other way. The cap on payments should mean that this is as much as a big farmer can get. The ordinary farmer should be brought up. In the situation of the farmers receiving €1,500 to €5,000, €6,000 or €8,000, that amount should be brought up €15,000 to €20,000. Those rates have not move in 20 years.

There is much talk in this House about eco-farming. I would say that many Members have not worn a pair a wellingtons in their bloody life. There is an organic scheme out there that has not budged. We had a two-hour debate on the agriculture committee. The Chairman, Deputy Cahill, fair play to him, brought about that debate yesterday. It has not moved for decades. Farmers have not benefited on an organics scheme. The Green party that is in Government now, and was before, has done absolutely nothing. Stop talking about eco-schemes. We have a scheme already, just make it better, more interesting and profitable for farmers to get involved in. Some of them are losing money by being in it.

Most are excluded from the application process. Our young farmers need to be looked after and a retirement scheme must be considered. There has to be a fair grant scheme for the ordinary small farmer. The new CAP cannot be for the extraordinary farmer, it has to be for the ordinary farmer.

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