The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 21 May, 2020

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area EU Affairs

Period 1 Jan, 2020 to 30 Apr, 2020

Specific Details Beef: Need for strong EU and National Supports in the COVID-19 Emergency

Intended results Keeping a Viable Market Operational • Swift action is required at Government and EU Commission level in order to support the beef sector, beef markets and beef farmers in order to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and protect the beef supply chain. • A priority must be to keep the sector operational and viable and keep routes to markets open including for live exports. This is essential at national level and also for exports to the EU Single Market, the UK market and international markets. • Member states must be provided with maximum flexibility to prioritise trade and movements of animals within members states over TB testing requirements in the Trade Directive. This is important in protecting the health and wellbeing of farmers, farm families, farm workers and veterinary practitioners. The TB testing measures required in the EU Trade Directives must be suspended for internal member state movements to provide this vital flexibility. Direct Support for Beef Farmers • In view of the extremely low farm incomes, beef farmers cannot endure any further price cuts from COVID-19 market disruptions. The EU CMO (Common Market Organisation) measures available under EU Regulation 1308/2013, Articles 219 to 221 must be immediately utilised to support farmers with direct payments for any price related market losses. • Beef price losses can be transparently identified, calculated and verified. The same emergency measures were successfully utilised under the BEAM scheme arrangements in Ireland from September 2018 to May 2019 in response to the Brexit related market disturbances and beef price losses. • Market supports in the form of specific and targeted APS may have to be utilised to support specific products / parts of the market. Suspension of non-EU Imports • In 2019, a total of 318,500 tonnes cwe of beef was imported from non-EU countries, with 78% coming from Mercosur countries, which equates to the steak cuts from 45% of the EU beef kill. The majority of non-EU beef imports is chilled/frozen product with a small share as processed beef. The chilled/frozen product is dominated by steak cuts which are targeted at the restaurant/food service sector. • With the collapse in the steak market due to COVID-19, the EU Commission should move to protect the EU markets and prices, and suspend all non-EU beef imports. Promotions • The EU should immediately introduce a strong pan-European promotional programme at retail level on beef targeted at higher-value steak cuts. Looking for aids to Private Storage Scheme to take product off the market and to release th 24m unspent monies from BEAM 1

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Tim Cullinan - President, B Golden Chairman, K Kinsella, P Balfe, T Leonard, J O'Connell, R Ellis, S McCarthy, I Jeffrey, F McClean, M Flynn, H O'Mahoney, L McEvoy, D Duggan, P Geraghty, P McEaneaney, A McDonnell, E Meade, E Markey, J Bennett, J O'Beirne, J Graham, E Burns, P Keane, D Kenny, JJ Kavanagh, S Cooney, D Hanrahan, A Woods, Jim O'Connor, Gavin White, Longford IFA Co. Chairman, Kathleen Henry, Sligo IFA Co. Chairperson, Des McHugh, Leitrim IFA Co. Chairman

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

Mass communications

Email All TDs

Submission All TDs

Submission All Senators

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (6-10)

Submission (1)

Conference Call (1)

Phone call (51-100)

Letter (2-5)

Informal communication (11-20)

Social Media (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.

Michael Creed Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Jonathan Hoare Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

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

Leo Varadkar Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Philip O'Callaghan Special Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)

Charlie McConalogue TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Brian Stanley TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Holly Cairns TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Matt Carthy MEP (European Parliament)

Ciarán Cuffe MEP (European Parliament)

Clare Daly MEP (European Parliament)

Frances Fitzgerald MEP (European Parliament)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Billy Kelleher MEP (European Parliament)

Seán Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Grace O'Sullivan MEP (European Parliament)

Mairead McGuinness MEP (European Parliament)

Mick Wallace MEP (European Parliament)

Maria Walsh MEP (European Parliament)

Deirdre Clune MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

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

Heather Humphreys TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Pauline Tully TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Matt Carthy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Brendan Smith TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mattie McGrath TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Lowry TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Alan Kelly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Garret Ahearn Councillor (Tipperary County Council)

Martin Browne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Carey TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael McNamara TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Violet Anne Wynne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Aindrias Moynihan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Moynihan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Sherlock Minister of State (Department of Foreign Affairs)

James O'Connor TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Pádraig O'Sullivan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

David Stanton Minister of State (Department of Justice and Equality)

Simon Coveney Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Tim Lombard Senator (Seanad)

Christopher O'Sullivan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Collins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Micheál Martin Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Flaherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Micheál Carrigy Senator (Seanad)

Frank Feighan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Marian Harkin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Martin Kenny TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Marc MacSharry TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Claire Kerrane TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Eugene Murphy Senator (Seanad)

Niall Collins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Patrick O'Donovan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Kieran O'Donnell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Barry Cowen TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Carol Nolan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Andrew Doyle TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Fleming TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Charles Flanagan Minister (Department of Justice and Equality)

Verona Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Kehoe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Malcolm Byrne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

James Browne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Garrett Ahern Senator (Seanad)

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

Dara Calleary TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Ring TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Fergus O'Dowd TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ruairí Ó Murchú TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peter Fitzpatrick TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

John Paul Phelan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Canney TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ciaran Cannon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Anne Rabbitte TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Noel Grealish TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Hildegarde Naughton TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe McHugh Minister (Department of Education and Skills)

David Stanton TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Billy Kelleher TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Sherlock TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe O'Reilly Senator (Seanad)

Niamh Smyth TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Denis Naughten TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peadar Tóibín TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Chris MacManus MEP (European Parliament)