The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 18 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 - Pillar 1 Interventions

Intended results • Dedicated income supports, based on area-based payments, should be retained and distributed, together with a new ‘Farm Activity Support Scheme', only to genuine active farmers engaged in food and agricultural production. • All genuine active farmers should get at least 70% of their BISS payment in mid-October. Issues arising thereafter can be resolved from the balancing payment. • Lessons of the past surrounding convergence and its impact on on-farm viability must be incorporated into any potential move toward full convergence. • Conditionality The next CAP should have a greater orientation toward an incentivised approach, through eco-schemes/agri-environmental schemes, rather than any further SMR/GAEC requirements. Any changes to Conditionality or individual GAECs must not undermine the economic agricultural activity taking place on Irish farms. They must be sensibly designed and pragmatically implemented at a national level, with additional support in areas with natural constraints and designated sites. • GAEC-2 (Protection of Peatlands and Wetlands) should be removed from Conditionality, and an incentivised approach, through eco-schemes or agri-environmental schemes, should be adopted. • GAEC-4 (Buffer Strips) – A derogation should be provided for organic producers, with optimisation of the management of existing buffer strips prioritised over any increase in existing buffers post 2028. The tillage sector has been unfairly penalised with the requirement for a 3m buffer around fields producing cereal, oilseed and protein crops and 6m buffers for late-harvested root crops. Existing margins must be eligible for funding under environmental or specific tillage schemes. To avoid loss of grazing land and shelter for animals, there must be no requirement to fence buffer strips. • GAEC 6 (Soil Cover) Having a minimum of 30% grass/ stubble lie-back when grazing forage/catch crops with livestock has impacted the sustainable practice of integrating livestock into cropping systems. The lie-back requirement must be abolished, and responsible grazing practices for cover crops permitted. • GAEC-7 (Crop Diversification) The 2-crop rule needs to be removed entirely as it is driving an exodus of smaller growers away from the tillage sector. The requirement for three crops should only kick in at 50 hectares and above. • GAEC-8 Eligible forestry, ineligible forestry, native woodlands, commonage, privately owned hill, and nonactive turbary plots within holdings must all be included in the ‘space for nature' calculation. • GAEC 9 Reseeding in Natura 2000 sites must continue to be allowed, as was the case previously. This is vital for farmers who wish to incorporate a multispecies sward into permanent grassland and continue sward rejuvenation, which improves response to fertiliser, thus facilitating reduced application. • Capping – No further capping of BISS payments for genuine active farmers should apply. Leased-in entitlements should be excluded when calculating total BISS payments for capping purposes. Family employment and/or arrangements to facilitate generational renewal (e.g. Registered Farm Partnerships) where more than one income is being earned from the farm should also be factored into total BISS payments before Capping comes into effect. • Eco-Schemes should be retained in Pillar 1, with no further increase in funding allocation beyond the existing 25% level. A menu of practical actions, relevant for all sectors and regardless of intensity, income vulnerability and geography, should be provided. No increase to existing obligations or thresholds should apply, nor should the inclusion of an obligatory participation clause in supply chain agreements for sustainability. Payment for mandatory legal requirements should also be permitted. • Rules relating to sectoral Intervention in the Fruit and Vegetable Sector (Producer Organisations) should be less bureaucratic and designed in a more farmer-friendly manner. • Coupled payments - there needs to be scope to provide more support to vulnerable sectors, such as the tillage and livestock sectors, particularly for countries with very low cropping areas. Expand the remit beyond protein crops to other sectors and provide flexibility to extend existing Pillar 1 thresholds that can be devoted to coupled support. • Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) - CRISS was devised as a mechanism within the context of a European distribution of CAP payments. However, Ireland's distribution of CAP payments is much less skewed than the EU average. Accordingly, no increase in percentage allocated to CRISS should occur. DAFM modelling indicates only a minor increase in payment for those who benefit, and a significant loss for many who will have their payments reduced.

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)