Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

This is my first chance to welcome the Minister to his new role and I wish him the best going forward. I also welcome the IFA president, Mr. Francie Gorman, who is here with us. I acknowledge the volunteers on the ground in farm organisations, such as Mr. Tadhg Healy and previously Mr. Donal O'Donovan in west Cork. Tadhg is my right ear most weeks on farm issues and Mr. Dermot Kelleher, of the ICSA, is my left ear. I do not know which ear is the best but they are certainly keeping me on my toes when it comes to agriculture.

I acknowledge I have a conflict of interest. I am a farmer. My son is actively farming now. I am not farming anymore, but I still own the farm. As I said during a previous debate, if you want to talk about farming, you would want to wear a pair of Wellingtons first. I have worn a pair of wellingtons, so I think I qualify to speak on behalf of agriculture. I have spent the past five weeks at Business Committee meetings raising concerns. The House needs to debate these issues. I appreciate that the Minister is present to debate, in particular, CAP, ACRES payments, the TB situation, GAEC, derogations, farm retirements, farm inspections, the Mercosur deal, horticulture, organic farming, the fair deal scheme, which is a very unfair deal when it comes to the farming community, and carbon tax. I will not touch on all of those issues because the Ceann Comhairle would have me out on top of my head, since I do not have that much time.

There are serious concerns about the CAP negotiations. Many Irish farmers have raised several concerns and disputes regarding the Common Agricultural Policy. Many farmers feel that CAP payments disproportionately benefit larger and wealthier farmers. Smaller farmers struggle to compete and receive less support. This issue has arisen in my constituency. It was an issue for me when I was farming. It was a serious issue for a lot of people. There was an unfair balance and that needs to be rectified in any new CAP negotiations.

While there is support for sustainable farming, some farmers find the environmental regulations under CAP to be overly stringent and costly to implement. They argue that these regulations can be burdensome and may not always align with practical farming needs.

Farmers are concerned about the lack of adequate measures to protect against market volatility. They argue that CAP should provide better mechanisms to stabilise prices and protect farmers from unpredictable market changes. The complexity and bureaucracy involved in applying for CAP payments or complying with its regulations are often cited as significant challenges. Farmers feel the administrative burden is too high and detracts from their ability to focus on farming. There is a need for more support to encourage young people to enter farming. Farmers argue that CAP should do more to facilitate generational renewal and make farming a viable career for younger generations.

These issues highlight the ongoing challenges and areas where Irish farmers seek improvements in the CAP to better support their livelihoods and the agricultural sector as a whole. Farm organisations such as the IFA and ICSA have expressed several concerns and positions regarding the Common Agricultural Policy. I remember someone advising me once that farming was from the shoulders up. The farming we knew when we were growing up was from the shoulders down. People worked hard on their farms and delivered for the people in this country. When it comes to a debate on agriculture, this whole Dáil should be full to the brim because without Irish farmers and the clean farming they are carrying out, this country would starve. People do not recognise that.

There are lot of serious concerns about the good agricultural and environmental condition, GAEC. It will have several implications for land use planning. I am particularly concerned about the management of peatlands and wetlands. GAEC 2 introduces restrictions on activities such as ploughing, planting trees and selling land for forestry. These restrictions claim to protect carbon-rich soils but can limit farmers' land use options. The restrictions under GAEC 2 may lead to decreasing land value, especially where land was previously valued for forestry purposes. Farmers are concerned that the economic value of their land will be significantly reduced. Farmers will need to obtain planning permission for various activities, including draining land, building structures and even ploughing and reseeding. This adds an administrative layer to basic farming practices. GAEC 2 aligns with national EU obligations to reduce land emissions for farmed organic soils and peatlands. This means that land use planning will need to incorporate measures to protect these soils and contribute to climate change mitigation. Farmers have expressed frustration over the lack of consultation and compensation for the new restrictions. There is a call for better engagement with farmers to ensure the policy is fair and implementable.

I am trying to touch on issues briefly, as I do not have much time. There is a TB summit. Restrictions are being piled on farmers and cattle. Badgers are the main problem here, and also deer. They are never tested. Infected badgers will spread TB all over a farm and to cattle as well. Some herds are being tested two or three times per year. There was a statement, and I do not know whether it was from the Minister or the Department, that farmers would be named and shamed. That is a shocking statement. I ask the Minister to address that. It would be as if the Minister for Health told the House she would name and shame everybody who got Covid. TB is not something farmers want on their farms. I do not know of any farmer - I have never met one in my life, at least - who would encourage TB onto his or her land. I have experienced TB myself as a farmer and had to take it on the chin, clear it and get on with life. I know the Minister has a lot of work to do in that regard. A lot of people have emailed and texted me to raise their concerns about naming and shaming. It has terrified some people who genuinely have been locked up and cannot help it. It is out of their hands. Badgers and deer are running wild, but we are not allowed to. Every farmer has to fence his or her land and make sure that animals do not go into neighbours' lands. Nobody has control over badgers or deer.

I do not know if this has happened to the Minister, but a lot of people have been talking to me about the spreading of slurry and the new changes. A lot of slurry stays in the ground for the year.

I would like to talk about ACRES and I have spent ages raising it several times. Some 9,000 people were looking for their ACRES payment for 2024, then 2,000 in 2023. This is a serious issue.

I could be here talking about agricultural issues for an hour. They are of huge importance.

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