Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur, freisin, roimh na feirmeoirí as Contae Lú atá sa Ghailearaí linn. Ionadaithe iad ó eagraíochtaí na bhfeirmeoirí. It is refreshing to hear a Minister say he will accept one of the amendments from the Opposition. He might pass on that tip to some of his colleagues because it shows there is a sense of co-operation on these issues.

Sinn Féin is supporting the Fianna Fáil amendment. In general terms it sets outs out the basic parameters of where the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy needs to go. I am glad to see that Fianna Fáil has embraced some of our long-standing proposals including addressing the level of single farm payment and the issue of payments to large corporate beneficiaries but there does not appear to be recognition of this issue in the Fine Gael motion.

Sinn Féin supports the proposal to limit the amount an individual can claim under the single farm payment and we specifically set that limit at ¤100,000. That is the position that we, through our Minister in the Northern Executive, will be proposing in the course of the negotiations. We also support the proposal to make corporations ineligible for the single farm payment.

Statistics show that in 2011 just 243 of the more than 123,000 Irish recipients of the payment received more than ¤100,000, yet that accounts for a significant proportion of the payments that come to Ireland. We believe that those funds could be better used in supporting small to medium active producers.

To address that anomaly the definition of an active farmer must be tightened up. It should be based on agricultural activity rather than on income. That method would protect the entitlements of landowners or tenants who actively farm the land they own or rent. It is imperative that as many farmers as possible are supported to ensure that farmers remain an active and vibrant part of rural life in Ireland. There should be an exclusion of certain categories of business such as airports, companies, golf courses and other corporate bodies.

We do not as yet have a breakdown of the amount of funding which currently goes to those on the higher payments but it is indicative that in 2007 just over 2,000 of the largest beneficiaries received more than ¤150 million, which is more than the over 55,000 who received payments of less than ¤5,000. That amounted to an average payment of almost ¤80,000 compared to an average of less than ¤3,000 for the other group.

There is clearly something amiss in that and it undermines the CAP's own stated objective as being the maintenance of the European model of farming based on farm households. Is that working? The CAP has certainly provided a cushion for farmers here and in other countries but reforms must be weighted in favour of the maintenance of family farming, and from the perspective of this State that must be aligned with a strategy to promote the indigenous sector by capitalising on new opportunities in both food and alternative sectors such as biofuels.

It is essential also that there is a close working relationship between the Ministers for agriculture in the Twenty-six Counties and the Six Counties during the negotiations, and I know the Minister has a very good relationship with Minister O'Neill. There is a shared future in agriculture between the North and the South which must be developed. It is important that both departments work together to further the shared goals of farmers on an all-Ireland basis. The bottom line in all of this must be that any reform of the CAP serves to keep as many farmers as possible on the land. Fundamental to all of that - there is common ground between all parties on this - is an adequate budget for the CAP if it is to deliver on its primary objectives. A reduction in the CAP budget would place a serious constraint on the ability of Irish agriculture to develop and grow. A strong CAP budget is required to secure the future of Irish jobs.

There is reference in the criteria to the reform of the greening of the CAP. It is of course essential that the environment, as well as agriculture, is catered for under the CAP reform proposals.

However, the greening element of the single farm payment should not bring undue bureaucracy and restrictions on farmers. It is essential that the greening actions, with their associated outcomes, be clearly described and capable of verification through simple and deliverable control procedures, while the greening payment remains part of the single farm payment.

The aging of the farming population is a matter of concern that needs to be addressed in the reforms to encourage the entrance of younger farmers. Domestic measures, including budgetary provisions for schemes to encourage the transfer of lands, also need to take this into account, rather than becoming an easy victim for cutbacks. Rural areas are suffering severely from high levels of emigration and there needs to be an adequate level of investment in creating sustainable employment in these areas. Those who become involved in farming as a new entrant or after taking over the family farm may find that it is capital intensive. Accordingly, it is important that as much support as possible be provided for these new entrants into agriculture. Funding should not be restricted to young farmers who have become head of a holding for the first time. All those who express a serious desire to become involved in agriculture should be given every support to do so.

It is important simplification is an outcome of the CAP negotiations. There is little benefit in the policy becoming costly and complicated. For example, the move from a single payment regime to having as many as six would make the whole process far more complicated than is necessary. One of the main bugbears of farmers is the level of bureaucracy involved in establishing compliance with regulations. They do not need anymore.

Guímid gach rath ar an Aire ina chuid idirbheartaíochta san Eoraip. Tacaímid leis na bunéilimh atá aige. Táimid ag iarraidh go dtógfaidh sé na pointí atá déanta agam ar bord.