Relevant Matter
Legislation
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 May, 2019 to 31 Aug, 2019
Specific Details
Beef Stakeholder Roundtable Talks
Intended results
To deliver for beef farmers in crisis under a number of hedaing
IFA proposals to the Department of Agriculture are as follows
- a price index that delivers full transparency on margins and an increased share of the consumer price back to primary producers.
- farmers cannot continue to produce beef at below the costs of production.
Beef farmers need certainty and factories must provide contracts.
The immediate appointment of a new independent regulator for the sector in line the with the EU Agri markets task force recommendations, which is now in EU legislation.
Beef farmers must be properly rewarded for quality.
A Quality Assurance bonus on all cattle from a quality assured farms.
A strong price based quality bonus for suckler quality beef.
An immediate ban on all substandard South American beef imports.
A second beef fund to compensate farmers who supplied cattle post May 12th 2019, who are currently losing €4m per week on beef prices.
€1bn Brexit fund of market supports and direct aid for farmers.
An EU campaign to promote our environmentally sustainable beef production.
We need a strong live export trade to drive competition and provide additional market outlets.
A targeted payment of €200 per suckler cow.
On CAP, the Government must reject the proposed cuts of €97m to Irish CAP budget and insist that direct payments are fully protected and restored.
On climate change, we depend on the Minister at the Cabinet table to defend our sector and our national herd.
A statutory investigation into the beef sector, including price competition, full transparency on the price along the chain, processor and retail margins, specifications, factory feedlots, rendering and fifth quarter.
The immediate appointment of a new independent regulator for the sector
Increased DAFM controls on carcase classification, trim and weights. Carcase image and Independent appeals system.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Joe Healy - IFA President, Damian McDonald - IFA Director General, Kevin Kinsella - IFA Livestock Director, Angus Woods - IFA Livestock Chairman.
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 (11-20)
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)
Leo Varadkar
Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)
Sinead McPhillips
Assistant Secretary (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Kevin Smyth
Assistant Secretary (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Brendan Gleeson
Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Charlie McConalogue
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Philip O’Callaghan
Special Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)