Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I recognise the passion my colleague has just shown. We might work on our five times tables at some stage. I start by welcoming Francie Gorman, who is the IFA president. We met previously. I recently met the chairman of Tipperary North IFA, Baden Powell, and other representatives.

I will speak about the CAP in a moment, but, first, because I know the Minister met the IFA to discuss it previously, I will raise the splash plate ban. This ban is really concerning for many farmers in north Tipperary. It is a national issue. The Minister engaged with the IFA on it during the election campaign. While he is here, I would like him to comment. This is an issue that started in Upperchurch and was driven by the farmers there, but it is now a national issue. What is being proposed is unsafe for them. It is neither environmentally friendly nor economically not viable, particularly for farmers who farm in higher areas. We really need to look at this.

When farming is doing well, rural Ireland is doing well. I come from Nenagh, which is a vibrant town that is doing very well. Agriculture is the backbone of our economy there, from the co-op to the mart to the spin-off that we see. The CAP is essential in this regard. It needs to go back to being what it is was originally supposed to be. The idea behind CAP in the European Union, or European Economic Community as it was previously, was to ensure food sustainability and food security, particularly after the war, in order that we could feed ourselves and not rely on others. We need to move back to talking about that. I recognise that we have major challenges in the context of climate change, but I also recognise that we have a unique farming model in this country, namely the grass-based model that produces some of the best dairy, beef and other produce in the world. We have to ensure that Europe recognises that.

The family farm model needs to be protected. We need to ensure that we have generational renewal. I speak to young farmers regularly, whether it is about planning permission on their farms or their being able to see a viable financial future for them in the context of taking over their family farms. We will not be able to protect that and our green image unless we can convince young farmers that there is an ability for generational renewal and for them to make a livelihood out of farming.

The LEADER programme is important. There are challenges in north Tipperary at the moment because streams are either drying up or have already run dry. That is a major difficulty because we need funding for many projects that have been waiting years to proceed. We might need to look at a stopgap measure until the new CAP comes into being in order that those community groups or organisations that have waited for years for LEADER funding, which is suddenly gone, will have something with which to drive their projects on.

In the time that is left to me, which I can see is not much, I wish to mention the nitrates derogation. This is possibly moving a little bit away from CAP but we absolutely must protect that derogation. Rural Ireland needs it. Finally, we need to get the ACRES payments out.

See this speech in context