The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 18 May, 2022

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Agriculture

Period 1 Jan, 2022 to 30 Apr, 2022

Specific Details Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS)

Intended results To welcome the decision to raise the 60% TAMS grant aid age limit to 66 for women recognises the importance of women in farming. To highlight that this decision is a step in the right direction in terms of actively encouraging women to participate, while achieving more gender equality in agriculture and enabling the next generation of women farmers. To highlight that this is an important factor to encourage more females to take on central roles in farm businesses. To highlight that if Minister McConalogue is committed to driving gender equality, it is vital that the past contribution of women farmers and the years they have farmed are calculated to qualify for TAMS. To highlight that farmers applying for TAMS Tranche 25 cannot be expected to work off costings that are 12 months out of date. We are seeing an unprecedented rise in inflation, meaning the price of building materials such as steel and timber has soared. The current costings, which were updated as far back as March 2021, are completely out of line with the price of materials today, making it impossible for farmers to begin their projects. To call on the Minister of Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to 1) Ensure the TAMS reference costs for tranche 25 are retrospectively revised to reflect actual costs incurred; 2) Revise costings again prior to the opening of tranche 26 on April 9th; 3) Establish a system to review costings before the opening of each tranche while this high level of inflation continues. To acknowledge the move by the Department of Agriculture to revise the costings for TAMS, but it needs to go further. To highlight that we are seeing an unprecedented rise in inflation, meaning the price of building materials such as steel and timber has soared. The old costings, which were updated as far back as March 2021, were completely out of line with the price of materials today. To call on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to establish a system to review costings before the opening of each tranche while this high level of inflation continues. To call on the Mininster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to establish if TAMS funding will be ring fenced for slurry storage on tillage farms. To seek from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what tangible emergency aid /support measures are the Irish Government planning to roll-out to support Irish farmers this Spring against the phenomenal increase in feed/fertiliser prices?

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Alice Doyle IFA Farm Family Chair, Michael Biggins IFA Rural Development Chair

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.

Email (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.

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Martin Browne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Matt Carthy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Collins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Flaherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Kehoe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Brian Leddin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Ring TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Victor Boyhan Senator (Seanad)

Lynn Boylan Senator (Seanad)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Tim Lombard Senator (Seanad)

Denis O'Donovan Senator (Seanad)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

Billy Kelleher MEP (European Parliament)

Chris MacManus MEP (European Parliament)

Ciarán Cuffe MEP (European Parliament)

Clare Daly MEP (European Parliament)

Colm Markey MEP (European Parliament)

Deirdre Clune MEP (European Parliament)

Frances Fitzgerald MEP (European Parliament)

Grace O'Sullivan MEP (European Parliament)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Maria Walsh MEP (European Parliament)

Mick Wallace MEP (European Parliament)

Seán Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Verona Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)