Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Common Agricultural Policy has unfortunately been viewed as a soft touch by successive European Commissions when they wish to divert funds elsewhere. This is not to say any given projects are unworthy but they have been funded by taking money out of the pockets of farmers. In real terms, Irish farmers received less under this CAP than its predecessor. I always find it frustrating when Ministers laud the budget of programmes such as CAP as the largest ever, as if inflation or other pressures on input prices are irrelevant. In real terms, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael negotiate and sign off on EU budgets that leave Irish farmers worse off and have the gall to tell farmers they are better off when they receive lower payments to do more work under greater regulation.

I am deeply concerned that there is a pattern of disingenuous approach across agriculture where co-operation with Europe is involved and the blame can be shifted. In response to a parliamentary question yesterday, the Minister informed me that the level of financial support from the European Union for Ireland's TB eradication programme "was steadily decreasing in recent years, largely because of other animal disease threats becoming more prominent at a European level". This is simply not true. The Department's 2021 annual report states: "In line with co-funding programme criteria and reflecting consecutive years of deteriorating disease metrics, the EU imposed a 20% penalty on Ireland’s co-funding claim for 2020." Compounded by year, the Government's failure to tackle TB cost the Irish farmer more than €7 million per year in European funds. That is not because the EU had other priorities but because the European Commission thinks the Government's policy and programme is a failure. The Commission thought that by giving Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments any more money, they would be throwing good money after bad. The Government is out of ideas and falls on the old, burdening farmers with greater regulation to cover up its failures. No one wants to see TB eradicated more than the farmers who fear their herd will be breaking down in the next ten years. Farmers are more than playing their part through their labour, financial contributions and compliance with the incredibly onerous regulations the Government has placed on them. Now the Government needs to play its part and put in place a workable framework that actually delivers eradication.

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