The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 20 Sep, 2018

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area EU Affairs

Period 1 May, 2018 to 31 Aug, 2018

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

Intended results To update the Tánaiste with 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. Initial Comments on UK White Paper 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.

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.

Letter (2-5)

Email (11-20)

Event / Reception (2-5)

Phone call (6-10)

Meeting (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.

Michael Creed Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Simon Coveney Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Paddy O'Rourke Councillor (Leitrim County Council)

Helen McEntee Minister of State (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Leo Varadkar Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Philip O'Callaghan Special Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)

John Callinan Assistant Secretary (Department of the Taoiseach)

Rory Montgomery Second Secretary General (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Mr. Chris Donoghue Special Adviser (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Denis Naughten Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)

Frank Feighan Senator (Seanad)

Michael Ring Minister (Department of Rural and Community Development)

John O'Hara Councillor (Mayo County Council)

Michelle Mulherin Senator (Seanad)

Dara Calleary TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Marian Harkin MEP (European Parliament)

Mairead McGuinness MEP (European Parliament)

Micheál Martin Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Charlie McConalogue TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Lisa Chambers TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ian Doyle Councillor (Cork County Council)

John Paul O"Shea Councillor (Cork County Council)

Michael Moynihan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

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

Aidan O'Driscoll Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Jonathan Hoare Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)