Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 Jan, 2025 to 30 Apr, 2025
Specific Details
IFA President meets with Newly Appointed Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine
Intended results
To highlight the issues at the forefront of farming
1. The damage from Storm Eowyn and the thousands of farms that are without power.
To encourage the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to give serious consideration to recommendations to mitigate the impact of Storm Éowyn and more fully demonstrate solidarity and support for impacted farmers.
2. Nitrates Derogation
That the Nitrates Derogation is pivotal for the Irish farming sector and must be retained long-term. Over 30 measures have been introduced at farm level since 2020. These must be given time to work. Farmers need certainty to justify making environmental investments on their farms.
3. Good Agricultural and Environment Condition 2 (GAEC 2) and Peat soils
To find an alternative solution that adequately rewards farmers for the protection of wetlands/peatlands rather than economically impacting thousands of farmers via restricted measures as proposed.
Rather than a catch-all series of restrictive measures being introduced, irrespective of underlying peat type as proposed, a robust carbon trading mechanism should be introduced first, and a proactive education initiative undertaker, providing site specific information and guidance to farmers on how best to protect peatlands, herein serving to progress both the economic and environmental sustainability of individual farms.
4. Ongoing Situation with TB
The level of TB in the national herd has been allowed to rise to an unacceptable level. Government must return to the Wildlife Control Programme, primarily to a density reduction programme to reduce the prevalence of TB and provide the resources to ensure the effective and timely implementation of the programme in TB areas.
5. Acres
A full overhaul of ACRES is needed and a new 'Whole-Farm Environmental Scheme' with a minimum payment of €15,000 per farm introduced with higher payments for hill farmers, designated Natura Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA) lands. All farmers including young farmers and new entrants interested in an agri-environmental scheme must be accomodated.
6. Tillage Payments
To propose the establishment of a 5-year Tillage Survival Scheme with an annual payment of €250/ha for commercial tillage farmers which must be introduced in Budget 2025. This is vitally important to ensure the survival of the tillage sector.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Francie Gorman IFA President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General, Elaine Farrell IFA Director of Governance and Oireachtas Engagement
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.
Informal communication (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.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
MEP (European Parliament)
Barry Andrews
MEP (European Parliament)
Barry Cassidy
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Barry Cowen
MEP (European Parliament)
Billy Kelleher
MEP (European Parliament)
Ciaran Mullooly
MEP (European Parliament)
Cynthia Ní Mhurchú
MEP (European Parliament)
Kathleen Funchion
MEP (European Parliament)
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)
Nina Carberry
MEP (European Parliament)
Regina Doherty
MEP (European Parliament)
Sean Kelly
MEP (European Parliament)