Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Chap on CAP is the correct term.

As Fianna Fáil spokesperson on agriculture, I welcome these statements on the Common Agricultural Policy and Ireland's CAP strategic plan. Fianna Fáil believes the Irish family farm is the social, economic and cultural pillar of our rural communities and that is why we are committed to ensuring CAP remains strong. The current CAP provides €9.8 billion to Ireland for the period 2023 to 2027 but a strong, well-funded CAP supports farm incomes and food security while contributing meaningfully to wider EU objectives, including, as previous speakers said, climate, biodiversity and innovation. Strengthening incomes for our 130,000 family farms continues to be an absolute priority for me and for Fianna Fáil. At national level we are trying to support the suckler, beef, dairy, sheep, pig, poultry, tillage, horticulture and organic sectors along with providing vital farm schemes.

At EU level, this Government must prioritise protecting farmers in the new CAP. Ireland will hold the European Council Presidency in 2026, and we have to use every lever available to ensure vital farm payments are protected and expanded beyond the CAP period 2023 to 2027. The agrifood sector is by far our most important indigenous industry, providing more than 170,000 jobs and accounting for more than 10% of exports. A strong CAP will keep the sector strong and allow Ireland to be a world leader in innovation, sustainability and value. As a Government, we must fight as hard as we can at EU level for a fully supported CAP with an increased budget. We need to make sure CAP is simplified post 2027 to ensure simplified payments for farmers along with balance and proportionate controls. We have to ensure the administrative burden and red tape that farmers currently encounter is reduced significantly. We have to make sure there is flexibility in the design of schemes and that there is stakeholder input at all times. We also need to work at EU level to secure new funding streams, which are separate from CAP, to support farmers in meeting environmental responsibilities. We have to ensure access to a farm capital investment scheme. At local level, we also need to accelerate IT capabilities in the Department to enhance systems and avoid payment delays. We were in Naas during the week and there was lengthy discussion of the delays in ACRES payments. We need to make that as simple as possible for our farming community.

Securing a resilient agriculture sector and transitioning to a more sustainable food system will demand an increasingly significant CAP budget. This investment should not be optional. It is absolutely imperative for the survival of our farming community. Supporting small and large farms is not an either-or choice but it does require tailored approaches. Productive farms, whether they are large or small, have to be prioritised for income support, particularly those with the potential for long-term viability. Every farm has a role to play in our food system but it is time for the CAP to be refocused to ensure public money supports those who are truly active in farming. We also have to ensure that future support is targeted towards genuinely active farmers - those who are directly involved in the day-to-day running of their farms, take on financial risk and earn their livelihood primarily from agricultural activity. Supports should prioritise individuals who are clearly identified by national authorities as commercial farmers with adequate experience or training and who contribute to the delivery of public goods.

The issues surrounding generational renewal were also raised earlier. This needs to be treated for what it is, an existential threat to food security and the sustainability of rural communities around the country, including in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. It is one of the greatest challenges facing EU agriculture. This must be recognised in the CAP budget and how member states allocate these funds. We must provide ambitious financing for young farmers, including the higher voluntary complementary income support for young farmers allocations. Support should also extend beyond income support. Access to land, finance, tax exemptions and incentives and training are also absolutely essential.

If the EU is serious about simplification, it must show a greater willingness to address the burdens imposed on farmers by regulations outside CAP. This level of simplification is crucial to improving the economic viability of farms and reducing the administrative burden facing the sector. We need the Minister and our Government leadership team to go into the trenches for Ireland on this one, protect our agriculture sector and get as strong a CAP as possible for Irish farmers. Every single community around the country can benefit from a significant CAP going forward.

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