The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 17 Sep, 2025

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area EU Affairs

Period 1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025

Specific Details Key Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Post-2027 - General Principles

Intended results That the implementation of the next MFF or CAP must not create more unviable farmers or rural areas; instead, it should focus on supporting sustainable productivity growth, with additional targeted interventions for young farmers, those in vulnerable sectors, and those on designated land. With CAP currently accounting for approximately 30% of the EU budget (0.36% of EU GDP), EU farmers cannot disproportionately bear the cost of funding new and emerging EU budgetary demands. • For farmers to have confidence in the process, and indeed the next CAP, there must be real and meaningful engagement with farmers and their democratically elected representative bodies at all stages, but most particularly at the design stage • A comprehensive economic, environmental, and social impact assessment of any proposed MFF/CAP reforms must be completed, with viable alternative or protective measures available immediately where required. Nationally, this includes maximum co-financing, as well as the design of national interventions to mitigate any potential cut in EU CAP Payments were they to materialise. Increased state aid thresholds for the agriculture and fisheries sectors should be sought and secured. • The government need to deliver on commitments made within the Programme for Government, namely strengthening farm incomes; ensuring vital farm payments are protected and expanded, including a fully supported, simplified CAP with an increased budget. The government is also committed to working at the EU level to secure new funding streams, separate from the CAP, to support farmers in meeting their environmental responsibilities. • Greater recognition needs to be afforded to the fact that change, especially as fundamental as suggested, will require significant time and resources at the Member State level to plan and undergo the necessary adjustments to implement and administer efficiently. This pales in significance compared to the added uncertainty and risk to the future availability and security of key essential revenue streams for beneficiaries. Any change should only be progressive. • The impact of environmental regulations on agricultural productivity needs to be better appreciated, and a review, together with practical recommendations, should be included in future simplification proposals. • To protect the Single Market and EU Food security, the CAP must remain a stand-alone allocation within the EU budget. Its funding allocation needs to be substantially increased to meet the growing political and societal objectives set, as well as EU enlargement, and used to support farmers, food production, and food security. It should also be index-linked (to guarantee continuity of food supplies and help preserve on-farm margins in inflationary times) and simplified considerably, adopting anan incentivised rather than regulatory approach, and re-balancing the importance afforded to economic sustainability. Future CAP/EU supports cannot penalise productive farmers or put food security and rural viability at risk. • A separate Environment Fund is needed to support environmental action on farm. This must include support for farmers with designated land and any actions that may arise to support the EU Nature Restoration Plans • Target payments at those that need it most - the farmer producing the food, working the land, tending to livestock, harvesting the crops, etc, are the farmers who need it most. • Only genuine active farmers engaged in food production should be eligible to claim payments in the CAP. The responsibility of defining ‘Active Farmers' should rest with individual Member States, given the diversity of food production systems across Europe. • Activity should be defined through a minimum output/sale value from the farm and stocking density, with a different, lower level for organic farms, those on designated land or those in Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC). • The traditional two-pillar (EAGF and EAFRD) funding model should be retained, with targeted income support and ecoscheme payments provided to active farmers through Pillar 1 (EAGF), supplemented by additional dedicated sectorspecific supports for vulnerable sectors, as well as rural development and agri-environmental supports through Pillar 2 (EAFRD).specific supports for vulnerable sectors; rural development and agri-environmental supports through Pillar 2 (EAFRD).

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 & Oireachtas Engagement, Tadhg Buckley IFA Director of Policy & Chief Economist, Liam MacHale IFA Director of European Affairs, Shane Whelan IFA Senior Policy Executive, Noel Banville IFA European 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

Mass communications

Letter All TDs

Submission All TDs

Letter All MEPs

Submission All MEPs

Letter All Senators

Submission All Senators

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Submission (2-5)

Letter (1)

Email (6-10)

Social Media (2-5)

Meeting (1)

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.

Aindrias Moynihan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

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)

Kieran O'Donnell Minister of State (Department of Health)

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)

Michael Moynihan Minister of State (Department of Education)

Micheál Martin Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Nina Carberry MEP (European Parliament)

Noel Grealish Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Norma Foley Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Regina Doherty MEP (European Parliament)

Sean Canney Minister of State (Department of Transport)

Sean Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Timmy Dooley Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)