Relevant Matter
Matters involving public funds
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 Jan, 2023 to 30 Apr, 2023
Specific Details
Horticulture Sector Crisis
Intended results
To request a meeting with Minister of State, Pippa Hackett to address the growing concerns around growth and sustainability in the sector.
To highlight that more growers are either scaling back or ceasing operation.
To highlight the hugely inflated input costs and the unavailability of labour and land are compounding the seriousness of the situation. There is huge concern around the cost of input materials and energy. Gas prices are four times higher than the average of the previous decade and three times higher than prior to the Invasion of Ukraine.
- While the Horticulture Exceptional Payment Scheme (HEPS) alleviated pressure for some of the horticultural sectors last year, this must be put in place again this year. All horticultural sectors must be included in the scheme and changes must be made in the scheme especially the basis on which field vegetable growers are eligible.
- IFA put forward a detailed submission in November last year on these issues outlining the necessity for immediate support for the sector.
IFA recommends a 'Recovery Plan' to sustain and build on the grower numbers once more. This is being done in other area's of the EU where member states are putting such plans in place.
IFA propose that, where food security is to the fore, interventions are required to combat high input costs and longstanding issues in the horticulture sector.
To engage about the shortage of protected crops on supermarket shelves.
To engage regarding the income situation for Irish Horticulture sector and Residential Zoned Land Tax.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Niall McCormack IFA Fruit & Vegetable Chair, Niamh Brennan IFA Policy Executive, Martin Flynn Vice chair of IFA Fruit and Vegetable Committee, Shane Halpin IFA Fruit and Vegetable Committee member.
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.
Phone call (6-10)
IFA made and received phone calls to the TD's above re the income crisis in the horticulture sector
Informal communication (6-10)
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.
Darragh O'Brien
Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)
Joe Flaherty
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Pippa Hackett
Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Regina Doherty
Senator (Seanad)