The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 21 Jan, 2019

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area EU Affairs

Period 1 Sep, 2018 to 31 Dec, 2018

Specific Details Brexit - IFA's position on Brexit, Contingency Planning and the UK White Paper

Intended results To provide an update on IFA's position on Brexit, Contingency Planning and the UK White Paper - that IFA shares the Government's approach in the negotiations which is aimed at ensuring that the post-Brexit environment for the farming and food sectors remains the status quo. Therefore, the optimum outcome is for the UK to remain within the Single Market (SM) and the Customs Union (CU) - that if this is not possible and the UK leaves the SM and CU, then in summary any new EU-UK trading relationship must include - Tariff-free and quota-free trade for agricultural and food products - Full UK regulatory alignment including current and future EU standards including food safety, animal health/welfare and environmental standards and - Full UK application of the EU's Common External Tariff and tariff rate quotas (no increase in import volumes) for agricultural and food products. - that means no hard border on the island of Ireland, no border in the Irish Sea and no scope for the UK to pursue a cheap food policy. Contingency Planning - that farmers will require direct Government and EU support measures, as follows A special purpose fund including structural and adjustment supports and measures designed to offset the negative impacts arising from Brexit and scalable depending on the outcome, from a ‘soft' Brexit up to and including a ‘no deal' scenario. Such a fund would provide scope for a package of measures to meet requirements including e.g. direct producer sectoral and targeted supports, An increased CAP Budget to make up for the shortfall arising from Brexit so that the real value of the budget is protected and farmers are properly rewarded for any additional requirements Opposition to Mercosur or other trade concessions by the EU which damage Irish farmers, and In the event of further Sterling devaluation, direct income aid support to Irish farmers, on the basis that even a small fall in Sterling beyond 90p could wipe out producer margins. IFA's position is very clear if the UK are to have continued access to the EU market, they must not have the freedom to pursue an independent trade policy in agri-food. Such an approach would be totally incompatible with the proposed UK-EU free trade area, as it would result in the destruction of the CAP and the European model of family farming. Our position is that UK participation in a free trade area with the EU must not undermine the integrity of the internal market. To request meeting with the Department of Agriculture on Brexit

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Joe Healy IFA President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General

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.

Meeting (2-5)

Email (2-5)

Event / Reception (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.

John Callinan Assistant Secretary (Department of the Taoiseach)

Brendan Gleeson Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Pat Deering TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Charlie McConalogue TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Martin Kenny TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Willie Penrose TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Thomas Pringle TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michelle Mulherin Senator (Seanad)

Tim Lombard Senator (Seanad)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn Senator (Seanad)

Ian Marshall Senator (Seanad)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

John Paul Phelan Minister of State (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government)

Paschal Donohoe Minister (Department of Finance)

Martin Heydon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mary Butler TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

John Deasy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Simon Coveney Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)