The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 18 Jan, 2025

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Finance

Period 1 Sep, 2024 to 31 Dec, 2024

Specific Details Budget 2025

Intended results To highlight that Budget 2025 measures are not enough for income crisis in farming. That the increase in supports for suckler cows, sheep and dairy beef calves will be some help to farmers in the drystock sector. However, the reality is that these sectors need more support as they drive economic activity in rural Ireland That, although the Minister has confirmed funding for the tillage sector including potatoes and field vegetables, the tillage sector has had a torrid two years. The number of acres under crops will be in serious jeopardy in the coming years. This payment will help farmers this year, but a medium and long-term plan is needed to protect and grow the tillage and horticulture sectors. To highlight that the Budget is a cost of living budget and not a cost of doing business budget. RZLT - to acknowledge the Government's efforts to exclude genuine farmers from the tax. However, to express concerns about how the mechanism would work in practice. Agricultural Relief on Farm Transfer - to acknowledge that the changes to target relief towards genuine farmers were important and go a long way towards the proposals made by IFA in our Budget Submission. To also acknowledge the increase in the threshold for inheritance which will be helpful for farm families in the process of organising the orderly transfer of their farms. The increase in the Flat Rate VAT refund from 4.8% to 5.1% and extensions on the various agricultural reliefs were also welcomed. Animal Health - that, while welcoming the €10.5m for targeted TB testing, a fully-funded and well-resourced TB programme is critical if any progress is to be made in reducing the levels of TB in the country. Central to this is the resources and approach taken by the Wildlife Control Programme. Both are falling short of what is required and must be reviewed urgently. To highlight that it is now time for the Department of Agriculture to step in and take on the remaining testing costs in the programme from 2025 onwards as farmers have done the heavy lifting on BVD to-date, spending over €120m in the programme and bringing the country to the point of recognised BVD freedom. Horticulture - To highlight that overall funding for the sector was reduced by almost 25% to €8.5m. To highlight that, as part of the Horticulture Strategy, there is an ambition to increase the farm gate value of the sector by 30% to €688 million by the end of 2027. With a 25% reduction in the overall horticulture budget announced yesterday this is becoming increasingly unrealistic. To highlight that, as part of the budget, it was announced that horticultural growers who planted and declared field grown food crops in 2024 on their Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application will receive the €100/hectare tillage payment announced as part of Budget 2025. While positive, this level of funding will do little to combat the soaring input costs that growers in these sectors are experiencing.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Francie Gorman IFA President, Alice Doyle IFA Deputy President, Elaine Farrell IFA Director of Governance & Oireachtas Engagement, Tadhg Buckley IFA Director of Policy & Chief Economist, Robert Malone IFA Senior Policy Executive, Shane Whelan IFA Senior Policy Executive

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Informal communication (11-20)

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Aodhan O'Riordain MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Cowen MEP (European Parliament)

Billy Kelleher MEP (European Parliament)

Brian Leddin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ciaran Mullooly MEP (European Parliament)

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP (European Parliament)

Denis O'Donovan Senator (Seanad)

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Flaherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Johnny Mythen TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Kathleen Funchion MEP (European Parliament)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Lynn Boylan MEP (European Parliament)

Maria Walsh MEP (European Parliament)

Martin Kenny TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Collins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael McNamara MEP (European Parliament)

Michael Ring TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Nina Carberry MEP (European Parliament)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Paul Kehoe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Regina Doherty MEP (European Parliament)

Sean Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Tim Lombard Senator (Seanad)

Victor Boyhan Senator (Seanad)