The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 19 Sep, 2020

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Agriculture

Period 1 May, 2020 to 31 Aug, 2020

Specific Details Programme for Government -

Intended results To seek meetings with Party leaders on the Programme for Government for discussions on key areas for the farming and food sector in a new Government That a new Government would fight for an increased CAP Budget to cover inflation and the costs of additional asks on farmers. Once the EU Budget is decided, the Irish Government is required to co-finance certain programmes and schemes. To highlight the impact of Covid-19 on markets To secure a future EU-UK trading relationship which gives us continued tariff free access to the UK market and which does not result in the UK importing cheap or sub-standard product from outside of Europe. Farmers have already taken a huge hit during the transition period. have already taken a huge That the Government blocks the agriculture concessions in the proposed EU-Mercosur trade deal. To highlight that Climate Change is a huge challenge for the globe. With a growing world population, we know a lot more food will be needed and Ireland is ideally placed to meet that demand and therefore the & 7% annual reduction in GHE must not apply to agriculture and food. Irish farmers have made huge strides in terms of increasing our carbon efficiency and we have a clear climate roadmap from Teagasc. The Government must retain the nitrates derogation. Irish farmers have created and are managing a huge carbon sink through our pasture land, hedgerows and forestry, but farmers are not getting the credit for this. The Government must ensure that the full carbon sink provided by the sector is credited to agriculture. To put down a marker on beef supports and live exports. IFA is campaigning for €300 per suckler cow in targeted payments. As an island nation, we must be able to continue to export live animals. This is vital to ensure competition. The next Government must have a clear plan to grow live exports, not limit them. This manifesto contains a wide range Land Values - that the proposal under ‘Mission: Housing for All’, which sets out a plan to “reduce the cost of land to improve the affordability of housing, employing all measures up to and including referenda” will be strongly resisted by IFA, farm families and land owners The Government must address the imbalance in the food chain which is driving farmers out of business. We urgently need an independent food retail regulator whose remit must include tackling below cost selling, unsustainable discounting and misleading retail labelling and branding. The Fair Deal Scheme is fundamentally unfair for farmers. The new Government needs to move on the promised legislation as a top priority and its effects must be retrospective. To reinstate the 8% forest premium cut taken from forest owners in 2009 and the farmer premium differential be reintroduced. The Government must act speedily to resolve delays caused by the extension of Appropriate Assessment Procedures (AAP), which require applications to be screened for effects on Natura sites within 15km. Acquaculture - that the Government sets out an implementation plan that priorities and gives clear timelines for each recommendation in the licensing review.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Tim Cullinan IFA President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General,

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.

Phone call (21-30)

Conference Call (1)

Email (11-20)

Virtual Meeting (2-5)

Letter (2-5)

Meeting (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.

Charlie McConalogue TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Eamon Ryan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Pippa Hackett Senator (Seanad)

Heather Humphreys Minister (Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation)

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

Simon Coveney Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Brendan Smith TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Niamh Smyth TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe O'Reilly Senator (Seanad)

Diarmuid Wilson Senator (Seanad)

Joe Carey TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Billy Kelleher MEP (European Parliament)

Deirdre Clune MEP (European Parliament)

Frank Feighan Minister of State (Department of Health)

Martin Kenny TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Marian Harkin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Marc MacSharry TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Barry Cowen Minister (Department of Agriculture and the Marine)

Dara Calleary Minister (Department of Agriculture and the Marine)

Micheál Martin An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Joe McHugh Minister (Department of Education and Skills)

Seán Sherlock TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Matt Carthy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mairead McGuinness MEP (European Parliament)

Seán Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Frances Fitzgerald MEP (European Parliament)

Maria Walsh MEP (European Parliament)

Ciarán Cuffe MEP (European Parliament)

Mick Wallace MEP (European Parliament)

Chris MacManus MEP (European Parliament)

Clare Daly MEP (European Parliament)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

Grace O'Sullivan MEP (European Parliament)

Malcolm Noonan Minister of State (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

Martin Heydon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)