Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 Jan, 2019 to 30 Apr, 2019
Specific Details
Quality Payment System (QPS)
Intended results
To point out that the Minister for Agriculture's comments describing the four movement rule in the QPS as "a purely private arrangement" were highly misleading and incorrect
To point out that the QPS was introduced in 2009 in order to reward farmers for producing quality. This moved away from the old flat pricing structure and is based on scientific research by Teagasc. It rewards farmers for higher meat yield and does not include any carcass weight limit.
To highlight that at the time of introduction the meat factories claimed these specifications were being demanded by retailers, buyers and consumers, a claim they continue to make.
To point out that as part of the QPS, an additional 'in-specification' bonus was introduced which paid farmers a top-up bonus (then 6c per kg, now 12c per kg) for satisfying a number of market requirements, including coming from a quality assured herd. The bonus specifications were fully transparent at the time and have been published weekly since 2009.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Joe Healy IFA President
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 (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)
Jackie Cahill
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Pat Deering
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Martin Kenny
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Charlie McConalogue
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Willie Penrose
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Thomas Pringle
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Senator (Seanad)
Paul Daly
Senator (Seanad)
Tim Lombard
Senator (Seanad)
Michelle Mulherin
Senator (Seanad)