Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Carthy and Clarke. The programme for Government recognised the need to do more on gender equality and includes a commitment to developing and implementing a new strategy for women and girls. Gender equality is a core principle of the European Union and improving gender balance, gender equality and increasing the participation of women in farming are, for the first time, part of the objectives for CAP strategic plans. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, SWOT, analysis in preparation for Ireland’s CAP strategic plan identified gender inequality as a weakness, while the economic benefit of increasing female participation was identified as an opportunity.

The needs assessment for the CAP strategic plan points to the need to increase opportunities for women in agriculture and business development. I have engaged extensively with stakeholders, including the women in agriculture group, on the future of CAP and on issues such as supports to promote gender equality. This has resulted in some innovative proposals to promote gender equality in the draft CAP strategic plan for Ireland. The package of measures includes, for the first time, an increased rate of grant aid of 60% for women farmers aged 40-66 years under the capital investment scheme; women-only knowledge transfer groups; and a call under the EIP initiative for proposals to examine women’s participation in agriculture.

Ireland's CAP strategic plan was submitted for approval to the European Commission on 31 December 2021 with a view to commencing delivery in 2023. Engagement with the CAP consultative committee and through bilateral meetings with the main representative bodies, including the women in agriculture stakeholders group which has been a very positive influence on this, will continue during this time and will provide updates on progress. In addition, the new stakeholder-led strategy for the Irish agrifood sector, Food Vision 2030, recognises the important contribution of women to the sector's long-term sustainability and includes a number of actions to promote and improve gender balance at all levels. This is the first time we have seen real efforts to address this cultural challenge, which has existed in farming for many years, and to help women play their equal part in our agrifood sector, particularly at primary producer and farm-gate level.

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