Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Cathaoirleach and welcome Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to the House.

The Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, as the Minister of State will be aware, was originally established to ensure food security and has been a great success in that regard. Indeed, it has provided an income floor to farmers across the country through its supports and many farms would not survive without farm payments .

Ireland has unique farm systems. It has farms that are small, mixed, large and intensive, arable, grassland, hill and commonage, and with designated and Natura 2000 lands. The challenges presented by a new CAP to satisfy all of these various farm types was and is immense. At the heart of demands for reform were fairness, quality and viability. Farm organisations such as the Irish Farmers Association faced a difficult balancing act as the issue of convergence raised concerns about farm viability. The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association were supportive of full convergence. All of this in the context of convergence means a redistribution of moneys within the farming sector. For those farmers who will win, there will, of course, also be farmers who will lose.

A deal had been reached at the Council of Ministers that will go before the European Parliament for ratification. I ask today that the details of what has been agreed be set out on the floor of the Seanad. The negotiations up to this have recognised the increasing and correct demands by society for a greener CAP, a more climate-friendly farming model, that the value of carbon-rich soils such as such peatlands be recognised, for eco-schemes and green interventions. It is important that while peatlands have been rightly recognised as carbon stores, they continue to be seen as a crucial part of eligible farmland. There were concerns in the run-up to these negotiations that peatlands would be discontinued or be ineligible as farm areas. That could not happen and I acknowledge the work of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association for their work on highlighting that and the work of the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, for his interventions on that.

I also welcome the income of €60,000 that has been agreed as part of these negotiations. This is important in recognising that CAP is not just about supporting larger farmers and that putting a cap in place will set a tone and a bar as to payments. It will also recognise that farms are of various land types, quality and sizes across the country and the new CAP has recognised, to a degree, the importance of redistribution, convergence and providing a basic payment for all farmers irrespective of the challenges they may face. It also recognises the unique role that our commonage, hill, disadvantaged, Natura 2000 and protected lands play in society. If one looks at the range of areas, from blanket bogs to the unique landscape of the Burren, these are all recognised as part of a new CAP. These supports are important to protect farm viability in these areas and to keep farmers on the land.Perhaps that is not recognised. Without farmers, the Burren would not be the Burren. Without farmers, our blanket bogs in Connemara or elsewhere would not be as they are. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.