Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
EU Affairs
Period
1 May, 2024 to 31 Aug, 2024
Specific Details
Good Agricultural & Environmental Condition (GAEC 2)
Intended results
To question what the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine is doing on Good Agricultural & Environmental Condition (GAEC 2) regarding the protection of Peatlands and Wetlands and whether they have achieved any further flexibilities on the derogation which is currently until 2025.
To question whether the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine will directly engage with impacted farmers on any changes made regarding Article 120, where among technical and administrative changes to the regulations is removal of the requirement to review the CAP Strategic Plan whenever other related environmental legislation is amended or introduced. Online updates are not acceptable.
To highlight that there is a lot of frustration among farmers with the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), particularly those ACRES Co-Operation, that they will not receive the €10,500 per year promised by the Department, through no fault of their own. Many applied for Non Productive Investments last December, but still have no idea where they stand.
It looks likely that it will be Year 3 at the earliest before ACRES CP farmers will receive any NPI/LA payment, therefore they will have limited opportunity to retrieve the full €17.5k potential promised.
To call for the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine to pay farmers allocated CAP funding beyond the CAP programme, for example to pay NPI/LA for 5 years from when the DAFM first issued NPI approvals.
To seek assurance from the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine that any repayment on overpayment of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) interim payments will take into account the challenging Spring and the importance of Area's of Natural Constraint and a pragmatic approach will be taken, with any repayment schedule agreed on a case-by-case basis.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Elaine Farrell IFA Director of Governance & Oireachtas Engagement, 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?
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.
Brian Leddin
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Claire Kerrane
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Denis O'Donovan
Senator (Seanad)
Jackie Cahill
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Joe Flaherty
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Johnny Mythen
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Lynn Boylan
Senator (Seanad)
Michael Collins
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Michael Fitzmaurice
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Michael Ring
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Paul Daly
Senator (Seanad)
Paul Kehoe
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Tim Lombard
Senator (Seanad)
Victor Boyhan
Senator (Seanad)