Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 Jan, 2022 to 30 Apr, 2022
Specific Details
Sheep Sector Target Funding - CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027
Intended results
To secure a commitment from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide additional targeted funding to the sheep sector, that incorporates direct support for shearing and wool presentation in order to bring the targeted payments for all ewes to €30/ewe.
To acknowledge the updated reference periods for the SWS for 2021 and 2022 and the increase to the annual budget for this scheme to reflect the higher numbers of eligible sheep as a result, of €2.5m a year.
The sheep sector is an extremely low-income sector. Sheep farming meets all of the higher environmental ambition for food production systems and is carried out in some of the most challenging farm land in the country, often the only source of economic and societal activity in these areas.
Sheep farmers are extremely disappointed with your proposal in the CAP Strategic Plan to only increase the targeted sheep payment by €2/ewe with a budget that does not even accommodate all of the ewes in the current scheme at this payment rate.
To achieve a Review of Pillar 2 schemes in the Strategic plans to provide €30/ewe payments
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Tim Cullinan IFA President, Sean Dennehy IFA Sheep Chairman, Kevin Comiskey IFA Sheep Chair, Tomas Bourke 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.
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.
Charlie McConalogue
Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Brendan Gleeson
Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Patrick Donohoe
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Pippa Hackett
Super Junior Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Martin Heydon
Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Jack O'Donnell
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Barry Cassidy
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Sinead McPhilips
Assistant Secretary (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)