Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Finance
Period
1 May, 2022 to 31 Aug, 2022
Specific Details
IFA Budget 2023 Submission - Measures to support Climate Action
Intended results
Taxation measures to Support climate action
- If any percentage of the farm is dedicated to farm forestry, it should be defined as agricultural land and the CAT Agricultural Relief applied to the whole farm.
- Farm forestry is treated in a similar manner in relation to the Consanguinity and Young Trained Farmers Stamp Duty Reliefs as it is with CAT Agricultural Relief, where it is defined as agricultural land.
- Where a non-farmer buys forestry, the normal commercial rate of stamp duty should apply to the full value of land and timber. This is required to ensure forestry remains primarily in the hands of genuine farmers.
Renewable Energy
- Remove planning impediments for microgeneration project.
- The establishment of capital grants of approximately 50% for farmers to invest in microgeneration. This programme should apply to all usage on farms including the farm residence.
- Farmers who receive grant-aid to support installation of renewable energy sources should be allowed to sell any surplus electricity generated after domestic/business consumption, in full, onto the national grid and receive an income for same (in arrears if required).
- Farmers who generate surplus electricity be allowed export it onto the national grid via smart meter and then be allowed the same amount as an offset back to them as required with no financial transaction necessary.
- The installation of roof-top solar/PV panels on farm buildings should not constitute a change in building use, and/or expose the farmer to any existing or future imposed duties/rates/levies etc.
Measures/Schemes to support climate action
Organic Farm Schemes
- Funding of the Organic Farm Scheme should be increased to €30m to incentivise and further develop the area of land under organic production.
- An additional payment should be made on the first 3 ha of organic horticulture.
Farm Forestry
- The restoration of the farmer premium differential as committed to in the Programme for Government Our Shared Future.
- A restructuring and upward revision of the current Afforestation and Woodland Creation grants and premiums revised upwards to better reflect the opportunity cost and the commitment of farmers.
- The extension of the premium payment duration under the Agroforestry scheme from 5-years to 15-years. Despite the potential of the scheme just 42ha of new agroforestry systems were established between 2016 and 2021.
- The introduction of a Harvesting Plan Grant to assist forest owners with the increased costs and requirements associated with applying for a felling licence.
- The introduction of a compensation package for farmers who are unable to harvest due to appeals of felling licences and licences being overturned.
- The introduction of an Ash Dieback Reconstitution scheme that appropriately compensates forest owners affected by the disease. This would include the full reconstitution grant to support farmers to harvest infected woodlands, the reinstatement of 15-year premiums on re-established woodlands and an option not to replant under certain circumstances.
- The introduction of a Roadside Ash Tree Removal grant to support farmers to remove diseases ash trees safely.
- The introduction of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in recognition of the range of environmental services provided by forests, including carbon sequestration. This payment would incentivise farmers to plant at the scale required and would provide income beyond the fifteen-year forest premium payments, as well as in subsequent crop rotations.
- the removal of restrictions on planting productive marginal land and increase GPC! grant and premium rate to cover cost of planting and better reflect the income foregone by planting the land. In 2016, the Council for forest Research & Development (COFORD) Land Availability for Afforestation report identified 180,000 ha of unenclosed land outside of the environmental constraints that satisfies the eligibility criteria of the Afforestation & woodland Creation Scheme, which is currently excluded
- The introduction of a Forest Owner Producer Organisation Scheme to provide supports for the preparation and implementation of Production and Marketing Plans for forest owner organisations.
- The development of a National Forest Group Certification scheme to overcome the obstacle to private forest owner certification that mirrors similar successful schemes operating in other European countries. Currently in the private sector only 4% of the private forest estate is certified and is a potential future barrier to mobilisation and access to markets.
- The allocation of funding to establish a Forestry Development Agency to drive the industry, such as exists in other natural resource sectors. It would be charged with optimising the performance of the Irish forest industry by providing technical expertise, business support, funding, training and promoting responsible environmental practice.
Measures to improve on-farm efficiencies
- Funding to expand and develop the IFA Smart Farming Programme, as recommended in the Joint Oireachtas Climate Action Committee Report Climate Change A Cross-Party Consensus for Action March 2019.
- Funding to introduce a Sustainable Development Programme (SDP) to co-ordinate the delivery of price supports for farm-scale and community-based renewables and to ensure the maximum delivery of the Teagasc Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) climate roadmap.
- The introduction of a liquid fertiliser/ protected urea incentive scheme, reducing the price differential below it and existing products to encourage increased adoption
- A support scheme should be put in place to encourage slurry additives uptake.
- Accelerated capital allowances for construction of slurry storage
- Accelerated capital allowances on LESS equipment for farmers in derogation.
- A soil structure support programme to include soil aeration equipment to maximise the agronomic and environmental benefits of good soil structures.
- Soil Health programmes (incl incentives/supports for use of Lime / MSS etc)
- Reseeding and oversowing supports
- Improved Animal Health and Performance measures such as supporting more targeted use of antibiotics and antiparasitics
- Scheme to fully genotype existing dairy herd, focused on animal health and welfare, production efficiency; methane efficiency, and market suitability of all off-spring
- Funding to genotype all future calves born into dairy herds
- Better faecal egg sampling schemes to reduce anthelminthic use and farm cost on medicines
- Supports for animal performance measuring and recording leading to more efficient production systems
Renewable Energy Microgeneration Support
- The establishment of capital grants of approximately 50% for farmers to invest in microgeneration. This will require a new financial support programme for microgeneration with a separate structure and set of rules. This money should come from outside of CAP Pillar II funds. This programme should apply to all usage on farms including the farm residence, and should not be capped at 11KW.
- The delivery of a meaningful ‘Feed in Tariff' with no limits on export volume to grid.
- Amend the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) to facilitate small scale projects and redefine ‘communities' in RESS to include virtual farming communities and partners.
- Remove or reduce network charges for inter-farming community trading.
- Remove planning impediments for microgeneration projects.
- The establishment of a new "Roof-top Solar Scheme and a new 'Anaerobic Digestion System' financed by the Department of the environment, Climate & Communications and independent of TAMS, to support increased investment in renewable sources.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Tim Cullinan IFA President, Michael Biggins IFA Rural Development Chairperson, Rose Mary McDonagh IFA Farm Business Chairperson, 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?
Yes
What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners?
To lobby members of the Oireachtas on the contents of the IFA's Budget 2023 Submission
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Mass communications
Letter All TDs
Submission All TDs
Letter All Senators
Submission All Senators
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
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
Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Paschal Donohoe
Minister (Department of Finance)
Michael McGrath
Minister (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)
Eamon Ryan
Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)
Mary Lou McDonald
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Matt Carthy
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Martin Conway
Senator (Seanad)
Maria Byrne
Senator (Seanad)
Martin Heydon
Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Joe O'Brien
Minister of State (Department of Rural and Community Development)
Catherine Martin
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Anne Rabbitte
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Mary Butler
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
James Browne
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Helen McEntee
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Peter Burke
Minister of State (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)