Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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150. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he intends to bring his revised CAP strategic plan before the Houses of the Oireachtas for scrutiny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26947/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Oireachtas has received regular updates on the CAP negotiations, and on the development of the CAP Strategic Plan, at official and Ministerial level, and this will continue as the plan is finalised over the coming period.

The development of the CSP has been underpinned by extensive stakeholder and public consultation carried out over the entire course of the Plan’s development, including on:

- the SWOT analysis in autumn 2019;

- the Scoping Report for the Environmental Assessment in spring 2021;

- the proposed interventions in August/September 2021; and

- the Strategic Environmental Assessment and an Appropriate Assessment, which concluded on 8 December 2021.

There is also ongoing consultation taking place through the CAP Stakeholder Consultative Committee, which has met on thirty occasions since its establishment in May 2019. The Committee met in April, when members were given an opportunity to respond to the European Commission's observations letter, and subsequently in writing. The next meeting will take place in early June.

I have also consulted with farm stakeholders on a bilateral basis, throughout the process, as well as through in-person meetings. For example, I held meetings in every county in the country through the mart network. This allowed farmers in every part of the country to have their say before we submitted the draft Plan at the end of the year.

Most recently, my Department hosted a series of information sessions on the new CSP at eleven venues across the country, as well as an online webinar. There has also been regular bilateral engagement with other Departments, and with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

I brought the draft CSP for Government approval in December, before it was submitted to the European Commission. I will bring the final CSP and Environmental Statement to Government again at the appropriate time.