The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 18 May, 2025

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Agriculture

Period 1 Jan, 2025 to 30 Apr, 2025

Specific Details Good Agricultural & Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2

Intended results To discuss with the Minister implementation of outstanding CAP Conditionality GAEC-2 Standard from January 1st 2025. To discuss further and tease out concerns with the Minister before he ultimately makes a decision how best to proceed. That a position from the Minister is needed urgently, pre- Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) applications, to allow farmers to ultimately choose if they wished to include all lands for BISS (& therein GAEC-2 requirements where relevant). To highlight to the Minister that implementation of GAEC-2 from January 1st is now a legal requirement. Derogation secured for 2023 and 2024 was not available for 2025, with formal letter received from Commission in December 2024 clearly rejecting calls for same. To highlight that Ireland is the only remaining Member State not to have implemented / submitted detail re GAEC-2 implementation and run risk of significant financial penalty (estimated 10% of overall BISS or up to €100m) which would be borne by all farmers. The Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was of strong opinion that this penalty would be applied, and any ‘good will' secured with Commission would be lost. To outline that Ireland has continually opposed GAEC-2 and any further restrictions on farmer. To ask the new Minister to again engage with Commission, in context of the upcoming Simplification Package, to seek a further derogation re GAEC-2. To seek commitment from the Minister that he would look to get GAEC-2 included within any Simplification Package. To highlight that, as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) emphasised, other CSP Monitoring Committee stakeholders, particularly those within Environmental Pillar, were keen to significantly strengthen measures, including utilisation of changed definition and mapping which would bring additional farmers into scope. To note, along with the Minister, that this proposal is a lot less impactful on farms than originally proposed and that farmers who didn't want GAEC-2 measures could isolate parcels and remove from BISS receipt. To seek confirmation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) that ploughing up to 30cm would be permitted annually on arable farms and one year in four for reseeding on grasslands; that existing drains could be maintained and repaired; and there is no limitation within proposal re conversion of grassland to arable on GAEC-2 parcels. To challenge planning requirements (incl. suggested revisit of deepening existing drains requirements) and get confirmation that there would be no new drainage planning requirements beyond what is currently in the national legal provisions. To seek confirmation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) that the GAEC-2 proposal would have no direct impact on forestry. To raise concerns regarding negative ‘designation' experiences of the past and the need for clarity and direct engagement with impacted farmers (& advisors) re GAEC-2 lands. To seek confirmation from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) that it was up to them to prove non-compliance with GAEC-2. Typical on-farm penalty for non-compliance would be 1%/3%/5% Estimated c.300 satellite inspections and c.30 on-site GAEC-2 visits per annum. To reject any restrictions on farm and were advised that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) would reflect and engage internally following meeting. To highlight that IFA has run a relentless campaign, both here at home and in Brussels, seeking to defer GAEC 2 and to have it amended as part of the much-promised EU simplification package. To highlight that all previous Taoisigh were also contacted by IFA to ensure that the implementation of GAEC 2 was deferred in 2023 and 2024. IFA met with then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue on the issue on several occasions and to be fair to him he sought, and secured deferrals for 2023 and again in 2024. That IFA made our position on GAEC 2 crystal clear in a detailed submission to the DAFM CAP Strategic Plan Monitoring Committee on 27th January. That IFA met with the new Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon on the 6th February last and were clear that he should go back to the EU Commission and seek a further derogation for 2025. This would allow GAEC 2 to be reconsidered as part of the promised simplification review during 2025. The new Minister, and his team, declined to do this and instead they proceeded to impose GAEC 2 on Irish farmers. To ask Danny Healy-Rae TD as a member of the Oireachtas who supported the election of the current Government to go to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Agriculture and indeed the Ministers of State in the Department to ask them to return to the EU Commission to seek a further deferral of GAEC 2 as part of the upcoming simplification package. To seek an opportunity to meet with Danny Healy-Rae TD on GAEC 2 as soon as possible. To emphasise that Minister Martin Heydon should have sought a further delay of the implementation of GAEC 2 from the EU Commission. This would have allowed it to be considered under promised simplification measures being designed by the EU. That the Minister should have stood up to the Commission and looked for it to be reconsidered as part of the much-promised simplification package. To highlight that the EU Commission had threatened Ireland with fines, but at the same time they keep talking about simplification and reducing bureaucracy. The Minister should have met with the new Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen and given him a chance to deliver on his simplification promises. Farmers meet very onerous regulations as it stands and this will just add to the burden. That GAEC-2 will apply to up to 35,000 farmers. While the measures may not impact on many farming activities in 2025, it is the thin end of the wedge and there are real concerns that it will impact these farmers more in the future That there is no doubt but that the provisions of GAEC 2 are going to be problematic for Irish farmers given the amount of peat soil we have. Now, at the eleventh hour, farmers are only being informed of GAEC 2 measures. The option of removing it or deferring it at EU level would be the best outcome, but ultimately, preserving agricultural activity is paramount. Any GAEC 2 measure that is introduced cannot damage the farm operation economically.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Francie Gorman IFA President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General, Tadhg Buckley IFA Director of Policy & Chief Economist, John Curran IFA Rural Development Chair, Shane Whelan IFA Senior Policy Executive, Frank Brady IFA Regional Chair Ulster/North Leinster, Richard O'Brien IFA Westmeath Chair, John Sheridan IFA Longford Chair, Enda Bracken IFA Offaly Vice Chair, William Dolan IFA Regional Executive, Henry Burns IFA Laois Chair, Brendan Hickey IFA Kilkenny Chair, Pat Walsh IFA Offaly Chair

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.

Meeting (6-10)

Email (6-10)

Social Media (2-5)

Letter (2-5)

Informal communication (6-10)

Phone call (2-5)

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.

Alan Dillon Minister of State (Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Cowen MEP (European Parliament)

Billy Kelleher MEP (European Parliament)

Brendan Gleeson Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Ciaran Mullooly MEP (European Parliament)

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP (European Parliament)

Danny Healy-Rae TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Dara Calleary Minister (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government)

Imelda Goldsboro Senator (Seanad)

John Clendennen TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

John McGuinness TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Kathleen Funchion MEP (European Parliament)

Kevin Boxer Moran TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Kiera Keogh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Lynn Boylan MEP (European Parliament)

Maria Walsh MEP (European Parliament)

Martin Heydon Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Michael McNamara MEP (European Parliament)

Natasha Newsome Drennan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Nina Carberry MEP (European Parliament)

Patricia Stephenson Senator (Seanad)

Paul Lawless TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peter 'Chap' Cleere TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peter Burke Minister (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

Regina Doherty MEP (European Parliament)

Rose Conway-Walsh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Sean Canney Minister of State (Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport)

Sean Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Sinead McSherry Assistant Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Tony McCormack TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

William Aird TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Barry Cassidy Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)