Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I thank both Deputies for their contributions. It is very important when we have questions on agriculture, food and the marine that CAP is at their heart because it really is so important to everything we are doing. To go to some earlier points about CAP and in particular, Deputy Kenny's, to have a longer CAP, a longer budget period would be needed because the budget drives the other.

On the concerns, this night last week I gave an address at the IFA CAP conference held at the Kilashee Hotel in County Kildare. It was very well attended by more than 500 farmers. There was a lot of concern, as Deputy Aird outlined, but I made the point that historically CAP proposals have come after the MFF and that has not always served us particularly well. Some very big decisions can be made during the MFF process on the budget that CAP had to then deal with afterwards.

Commissioner Hansen saying he will come up with proposals in July as well, at the same time as CAP, has concerned some people and farm organisations but it is better if we try to do them concurrently and try to engage. I look forward to meeting the Commissioner again next Monday and when we attend a number of events together in the coming weeks, I will convey those points back to him.

One of my main points is the issued raised by Deputy Aird about taking food security for granted. Before the illegal invasion by Russia of Ukraine, we did take some things for granted in Europe. We did not in Ireland. Enda Kenny and previous taoisigh asked other European colleagues to pay more into the overall budget so we could protect the CAP. It should be remembered that after Brexit there was talk about the CAP being decimated by up to 30%. Environmental money was used to supplement it and with that came the conditionality that farmers have stepped up to the plate to achieve. Overall, we cannot have food security taken for granted, the same way energy security has been challenged, and the Ukrainian crisis has focused minds in that regard. I very much hope it will focus minds in these negotiations as well.

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