Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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84. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of funding uptake and participation levels by scheme under Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy strategic plan to date; how these supports are being geographically distributed and monitored for environmental impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36636/25]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I am taking this question on behalf of an Teachta Barry Heneghan.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027 aims to improve the economic, social and environmental sustainability of Ireland's agrifood sector. It does this by supporting viable farm incomes and enhancing competitiveness by strengthening the socioeconomic fabric of rural areas and contributing to the achievement of environmental and climate objectives at national and EU levels. The CAP strategic plan, or CSP, includes 28 different schemes or interventions, as they are known. CSP interventions range from income support measures to environmental interventions and include targeted measures to support young farmers and female farmers.

More than 120,000 farmers in Ireland receive CAP supports through a combination of direct payments and targeted rural development supports. A list of all CAP beneficiaries is published each year on my Department’s website, including information on geographical distribution. My Department also publishes an annual performance report, or APR as it is known, each year. The APR for 2023 is available on my Department's website and the APR for 2024 will be published shortly, following approval by the European Commission.

It should be noted that the CAP financial year 2024 ran from 16 October 2023, which was world food day, to 15 October 2024. In the financial year 2024, over €1.9 billion was spent on the CAP strategic plan. This included €1.2 billion in CAP Pillar 1 direct payments, which are fully funded by the EU, and €700 million in co-finance payments under CAP Pillar 2, rural development and environment payments. Payments per beneficiary vary according to farm size, scheme participation and entitlement value for direct payments.

Under the new delivery model for the CAP, there is a monitoring system for performance against each of the CAP objectives. Some 16 of the CSP result indicators relate to environmental objectives. The CSP monitoring committee meets at least once a year to review progress and includes representatives from the European Commission as well as a broad range of Irish stakeholders.

With regard to funding uptake, I confirm that Ireland is ahead of other EU member states in drawing our share of EU funding in the CSP to date.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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This policy has been a linchpin and a source of very important funding streams and supports for farmers for decades now. However, there comes a time when things need to be tweaked. That is why Deputy Heneghan asked for the geographical breakdown. We in Tipperary and other parts of the country have seen the conglomerates who get phenomenal payments under this scheme. There should be more balance shown towards the west and areas with poorer land conditions. There should be more supports for agritourism and different initiatives, such as environmental schemes, for younger and family farmers.

Looking at the publications every year, it is a table of the rich. There are phenomenal figures for factory farms and big conglomerates. These people are distorting the market in many other ways, especially the big production outlets, which can dictate the price of cattle, be they scarce or not. We need a reconfiguration and recalibration of this scheme.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am happy to provide the Deputy with the table in written form as result of this question. It lists the total expenditure per county for all CSP schemes, the number of beneficiaries and the average per beneficiary.

It is quite even. The Deputy's county, Tipperary, saw total expenditure under all CSP schemes of €112,091,305 to 6,652 beneficiaries. The average per beneficiary worked out at €16,851. That compares with Carlow, which is at €17,700; my county, Kildare, at €16,210; Kilkenny, next door to the Deputy, at €17,525; and Laois at €15,750. There is a uniformity in terms of the average per beneficiary, so it is quite balanced and quite fair. We have seen that movement to fairness progress over previous CAPs as well.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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The Minister makes a comparison with my neighbouring county and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's county, Kilkenny. We will be working other matters out on the field of play at the weekend. I hope it will be a good game, and may the best team win.

On a serious note, I accept those figures, but inside them, and to get to those averages, there are massive, phenomenal payments for big conglomerates and stronger farms. I am talking about balance, not only in my county, but also through the west and to ordinary farmers. It is vital that we keep these farmers on young family farms because the conglomerates are gobbling up those farms. Every family farm has a family and they support schools, hurling teams and the teams of the future. They are vital. The supports should be skewed in favour of the smaller farmers and the mixed farmers, and those in food production especially. This has to be recalibrated because the figures are eye-watering.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I wish the Deputy and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle the best of luck in the hurling at the weekend. As a proud Kildare man, we look forward to competing for the Liam MacCarthy with both teams next year, after our win in the Joe McDonagh Cup.

The Deputy can stand up here and talk sentiment, mention the word "conglomerates" a number of times and so on, but the sentiment he displays is not borne out by the facts. The tabular breakdown, which I will provide to him afterwards, shows that, per county, the average per beneficiary works out at €15,585. In Tipperary, the average per beneficiary is €16,851, so there is not the big disparity he talks about. His next-door neighbour of Waterford is at €18,209 to 2,273 beneficiaries. That is the average per beneficiary. Leitrim is at €15,005. The Deputy spoke about the Golden Vale and different counties and farming models west of the Shannon. If one were to take the sentiment of what he said, there would be a big disparity between what is paid to farmers, but that is not borne out by the facts.