Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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558. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has had any engagement with the European Commissioner for Agriculture on the topic of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments or potential reform of CAP since he took office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36592/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is a key responsibility of Government to raise Ireland's concerns with our EU partners and to influence EU policy. For my part as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I regularly meet with my counterparts in the Council of the European Union to discuss policy developments in the Union and to help shape a response. The AGRIFISH Council, which is attended by ministers from every Member State and by the European Commissioner for agriculture and rural development, meets on a monthly basis. I engage with the Commissioner on a wide range of issues affecting the agri-food sector, including CAP payments and the CAP post-2027, at these Council meetings as well as in bilateral discussions.

By way of example, much of the focus of recent Council meetings was to progress short and medium term measures to reduce administrative burden and achieve simplification for farmers. I engaged extensively at these meetings to ensure that Irish interests and concerns were well reflected in the final package of simplification measures which was agreed. I am happy that this engagement has delivered, for example that farms under 10 hectares in size can now be exempted from conditionality under the CAP.

With regard to the potential reform of the CAP, the Commission proposals for CAP post-2027 are expected in mid-2025. I recently attended a debate on this topic with the Commissioner and took this opportunity to stress that we should refocus on the need for the CAP, as outlined in the Treaty, to ensure food security and food safety, as well as contributing to the development of sustainable food systems, encompassing economic and social sustainability as well as environmental sustainability. I also emphasised the need for a well-funded CAP with a budget that matches its ambition.

I also recently engaged with the Commissioner to ensure that the Commission implementing regulations which provide for higher rate of advance payments were in place in time to make advance payments under the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme at the higher rate of 85% this month.

I will continue to engage with the Commissioner and his successor on these important issues going forward.