William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First of all, I am delighted that the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Ardagh, is here today because she represents Dublin South Central.

As she knows, farm produce is delivered every morning. I am delighted that she is here for this important debate. I welcome the leader of the IFA, a fellow Laoisman, Francie Gorman. I am delighted he is in the Public Gallery to listen to the debate.

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the CAP and Ireland's CAP strategic plan. The CAP is a matter of vital national interest, not just for our farmers but for the future of rural Ireland, our food security and our environmental responsibilities. The CAP has been a basis for European agricultural policy since its foundation in 1962. For Ireland, the CAP has been transformative. It has underpinned farm incomes, supported rural development and ensured the continued production of safe, high-quality food. The CAP is more than just a funding mechanism; it reflects Europe's strategic priorities, from food security to environmental sustainability and rural development. Up to 2027, the CAP will undergo significant reform, with a strong emphasis on delivering on climate and environmental ambition, supporting generational renewal and fostering the economic viability of family farms. Ireland's CAP allocation for this period amounts to approximately €10 billion, a combination of EU funds and national Exchequer co-funding.

The future of farming supports and the new CAP are essential to the survival and success of all of us who are involved in the agrifood sector. Experience over the Past few years, from the Covid pandemic to the war in Ukraine to the current trade tensions with the US, has underlined the vital importance of the agrifood sector to Ireland and Europe. We cannot take our food or the people who produce it for granted. The next CAP post 2027 will be extremely important for the agrifood sector in Ireland. The CAP is crucial for the sector's resilience and competitiveness. Across the country, the agrifood sector remains our most important indigenous industry, employing more than 169,000 people and supporting €19 billion worth of exports. Some people in our country find it hard to understand that there are such high figures.

Ireland's CAP strategic plan has a current budget of €9.8 billion, including €2.28 billion of national funding over five years. The future of farm supports for Europe will be shaped by two major policy proposals to be published later this year, namely the EU budget, known as the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, and the proposals for a new CAP post 2027.

Regarding funding over recent decades, we have seen the undermining of the CAP as a result of budget cuts, no allowance whatsoever for inflation, which does not happen in any other sector, and forcing farmers to do more for less. It now appears that the European Commission may be pushing ahead with a single fund approach to the MFF rather than having a designated CAP budget. If a single fund budget structure is approved, this would have a negative impact on schemes at farm level, on the rural economy and on generational renewal. Our Government must push back against the single budget approach to the CAP.

Our key priority for the next CAP must be for a more straightforward model for farmers, allowing member states more freedom to target measures to deal with their circumstances and continue with measures that are working well. Time and again, farmers have said to me, as their public representative, that the conditions laid down by Brussels are totally contrary to what they have been used to doing all their lives and to best practice. People who farm the land and work to produce food know their land better than anybody. They regret that they are being told how to farm by people in other countries.

The next CAP must be more flexible and must respond to new and emerging approaches. It must involve an appropriate balance between all the elements of sustainability and economic, environmental and social aspects. There must be an increase in the dedicated CAP budget.

The CAP continues to be central to Ireland's role in the context of agriculture. Issues such as food security and competitiveness will be major features of the discussions relating to the next CAP. To protect the CAP, it is vital that we position agricultural and food as major strategic priorities for the European Union. Our strategic CAP plan must be balanced and practical. It must address the challenge of economic, environmental and social sustainability. Our CAP strategic plan requires partnership between the Government, farmers, communities, etc. It is through our strategy that we can ensure that Irish farmers continue to produce world-class food and that rural communities-----

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