Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1192. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to front load the first twenty hectares in the new Common Agricultural Policy pillar 1 document that will start in 2020 and is being negotiated this year in order to protect small family farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1131/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The European Commission published its CAP Communication titled “The Future of Food and Farming” on 29November 2017.

The Communication proposes a simpler CAP, with a sharper focus on objectives and results, particularly in the environmental area. I welcome the commitment that Direct Payments should remain an essential part of CAP, as they provide an important safety net for family farms and ensure there is agricultural activity in all parts of the EU.

The Communication outlines a number of possibilities that should be explored to improve the targeting of direct payments. These include compulsory capping of payments, degressive payments and redistributive payments to small or medium size farms. It also suggests that support should be targeted at genuine farmers, focussing on those who are actively farming in order to earn their living.

My Department is currently reviewing the Communication but of course detailed proposals will only emerge in the context of legislative provisions to be presented by the Commission in mid 2018.