Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 Sep, 2025 to 31 Dec, 2025
Specific Details
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
Intended results
To highlight that farms that fall within a control zone through no fault of their own currently receive no subsistence support, unlike infected premises, despite suffering clear and measurable financial losses. This creates an inequitable and unsustainable situation where disease-control rules impose a direct economic penalty on farms which do not have HPAI, many of which operate on tight margins and rely on continuous production cycles for viability.
To request that the Department of Agriculture urgently introduce a targeted financial subsistence scheme to support farmers who are unable to restock or place birds solely because of the movement controls to protect the spread of the virus and thus the farm income.
To highlight that by introducing support for these indirectly affected farms would
• Protect the long-term viability of the poultry sector
• Maintain confidence and goodwill in disease-control policies
• Ensure farmers are not financially penalised for complying with biosecurity measures.
To stress that the financial impact on farms inside these zones is being felt immediately, albeit by a smaller number of farms within the immediate 3km zone, it is very crucial that these farmers are supported.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Francie Gorman IFA President, Nigel Sweetman IFA Poultry Chair, Nigel Renaghan IFA, Sarah Hanley IFA 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 (6-10)
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 Purcell
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture and the Marine)
Jack O'Donnell
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Martin Heydon
Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Robbie Gallagher
Senator (Seanad)