Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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28. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to address the concerns that have been raised in respect of the GAEC 2 proposals further to the adoption of a Private Members’ Motion on 22 April 2021. [27042/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I did not oppose the Private Members Motion on CAP, and specifically GAEC 2, which was debated in this house on 22nd April 2021. The reason for this was the key point that I share with the proposers of the motion, that is, the need to establish an effective GAEC 2 standard that will allow continued appropriate farming on existing agricultural Irish peat-based soils.

As articulated during the debate on the Private Members Motion, the trilogue negotiations regarding the next CAP are still on-going and the text relating to GAEC 2 has not yet been agreed. On 10th May 2021, GAEC 2 was discussed at the Special Committee on Agriculture in Brussels.

At that meeting, my officials outlined Ireland’s position that land under GAEC 2 will remain an agricultural area. My officials offered to work with other Member States to consider text changes to ensure that this position will apply across all EU Member States. This work is on-going at EU level as part of the wider CAP negotiation process.

The definition of the eligible hectare is still subject to discussion within the trilogue process. I expect to be in a position to raise this issue, and if necessary GAEC 2, during the Agri-Fish Council of Ministers meeting that is scheduled to take place next week.