The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 20 Jan, 2023

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Agriculture

Period 1 Sep, 2022 to 31 Dec, 2022

Specific Details Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss

Intended results To highlight how farmers are engaging with biodiversity and the challenges faced in considering biodiversity in their farming. To highlight how Ireland Ireland has a predominately extensive grass-based livestock farming system which uses less inputs and provides many positive environmental benefits. Biodiversity has a fundamental role in underpinning sustainable agricultural systems. To highlight how Irish farmland is a significant reservoir of biodiversity with on average 12-14% of farms providing space for nature1. It is important that farmers' investment and the positives changes, that have been taking place on farms in recent years, are fully recognised. • - 33% of the farmland area in Ireland (compared with an EU average of 13%) is under agri-environmental schemes. Irish farmers have participated on a voluntary basis in these schemes since 1994 enhancing farmland biodiversity. • - Farmers under Green, Low-Carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) established approx. 20,000 hectares of wild bird cover. During the period of GLAS there was a marked recovery in the level of farmland birds recorded, numbers now 10% higher than 2000 levels. - The new Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) needs to be more attractive to encourage and increased levels of farmer participation. - Regulations on land use or farming practices on designated land/protected areas that impose constraints must be properly compensated. To date farmers in protected areas, have not been sufficiently compensated for loss in production or land values due to the designation of their farmland. An independent arbitration scheme should be introduced to determine the loss of value to the farm business caused by the designation, and an associated budget allocated. - The most successful farmland programmes that protect and enhance biodiversity have been developed in collaboration with farmers. Local leadership and buy in is essential to deliver improvements locally but also increase the awareness of the threats to biodiversity in the wider farming community. - Incentivised management-based programmes rather than regulation are more successful in securing farmer buy in. - Farmers are continually being asked to do more to qualify for their CAP core payment. However, the level of EU funding for these core payments (known as Pillar 1) has significantly reduced. UCD analysis estimates that, in real terms, Irish funding under Pillar 1 of CAP has declined by 17% in the 2006-2019 period2

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Tim Cullinan IFA President, Paul O'Brien IFA Environment Committee Chair, Geraldine O'Sullivan 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.

Event / Reception (1)

Submission (1)

Email (2-5)

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.

Eamon Ryan Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)

Timmy Dooley Senator (Seanad)

Brian Leddin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Christopher O'Sullivan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Richard Bruton Minister (Department of Education and Skills)

Réada Cronin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Cormac Devlin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Alan Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Darren O'Rourke TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Lynn Boylan Senator (Seanad)

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Martin Browne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Matt Carthy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Tim Lombard Senator (Seanad)

Paul Kehoe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Flaherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)