2026-03-19

82. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline Ireland's priorities for the next CAP; if this has been discussed at the Council of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20636/26]

I thank Deputy Cleere for raising the really important issue of the Common Agricultural Policy. Ireland's priorities in negotiating the CAP post 2027 are to ensure that the CAP remains properly funded, continues to support viable farm incomes and contributes to food security, rural development and environmental sustainability. The CAP plays a vital role in supporting farmers and rural communities and in underpinning the production of safe, high-quality food across the European Union. Ireland also considers it important that the CAP continue to operate as a clearly identifiable common EU policy, which has served us well down through the years, with appropriate governance arrangements and legal certainty for member states in the implementation of CAP measures. In addition, Ireland is seeking to ensure that the future CAP framework remains practical and workable in implementation for both farmers and administrations responsible for delivering the policy. Ireland is advocating for greater simplification and for sufficient flexibility for member states in the design of CAP interventions in order that supports can be tailored to national farming systems and circumstances while still contributing to the overall objectives of the policy. It sounds a little contradictory in a way but it is absolutely not. We are looking to maintain the benefits of the commonality of the Common Agricultural Policy and the fact that we are part of the one common set of rules and the one common market, while also allowing the greatest amount of subsidiarity or flexibility for individual member states to recognise the fact that we farm very differently in Ireland from the way they do in many of the other EU member states. That is the balancing act I have in the coming months, particularly from 1 July, when I take over the presidency of the EU AGRIFISH Council. The CAP proposals have been discussed on several occasions at the monthly meetings of the AGRIFISH Council, where I have exchanged views with Commissioner Hansen and my other EU counterparts on the Commission's proposals and national priorities.

I am delighted to see so much engagement in relation to the Common Agricultural Policy because, for Ireland, this debate is not simply another EU policy negotiation. As the Minister himself said, it is about the future of rural communities, family farming and food production in a country where agriculture remains one of our most important indigenous industries. As negotiations around CAP 2027 begin to take shape, Ireland has to ensure that its voice is strong and influential in Brussels through the Minister, the Minister for Finance and the Taoiseach. As the Minister, Deputy Heydon, mentioned, Irish agriculture is unique in Europe. Our grass-based production system is among the most sustainable in the world, producing high-quality food with a comparatively low carbon footprint. Most importantly, our agriculture sector is built not on vast industrial farms but on family farms that have been passed down through generations. Ireland's agricultural success has never been built on industrial mega farms; it has been built on family farms. That model must remain at the centre of the CAP going forward.

I concur completely on the importance of the Common Agricultural Policy. We can talk about all the structures, all the rules and all the simplification that we can try to bring in and that I will look to bring in as we design a new scheme, but at its heart is the funding. If the overall funding envelope is 20% less than it was the last time, that is a very significant impact for our country. The Deputy is dead right in what he says about this being a whole-of-government approach. At the AGRIFISH Council, I raised the specific points about the structure of the CAP and beyond, and our first priority is a properly funded CAP. The Tánaiste, as Minister for Finance, has a key role to play in that regard, as will the Taoiseach and others in all the negotiations, ensuring that the policy remains a clearly identifiable common EU policy and providing sufficient flexibility for member states. Discussions on proposals are ongoing in the Council's preparatory bodies, including the special committee on agriculture, and the relevant Council working parties. Work is currently focused on progressing the text of the regulation and reaching agreement on compromise provisions among member states, so we continue that work.

I welcome the Minister's comments and the fact a strong CAP is not just about agriculture but it is about the future of rural Ireland. When farming thrives, rural communities thrive alongside it. Local businesses, schools, services and sports clubs all depend on vibrant rural economies so this finance will be key to that. CAP 27 must provide meaningful supports to help young farmers enter the industry and invest in their farms for the long term. Historically, Ireland has played a really constructive role in shaping European agriculture policy and, as decisions around CAP intensify, that leadership from the Minister, the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach will be more important than ever. Ireland must be at the negotiating table shaping CAP 27. We have the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will be hugely influential for us. However, if Europe wants sustainable food production, vibrant rural communities and a secure food supply, then the next phase of the Common Agricultural Policy must work for the farmers who make all that possible. It must work for the rural communities and the finance and funding has to be in place to allow these communities to thrive.

That is it exactly. The Deputy has articulated very clearly the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy on all of our rural communities. How do we achieve that? We achieve it in a number of ways. The Deputy identified generational renewable as one of the challenges of our time. This is not a challenge unique to us in Ireland or in even Europe. With growing urbanisation around the world and the fact that in Ireland we have full employment in a burgeoning economy, thankfully the next generation - farmers' children - have more options open to them economically than ever before. Commissioner Hansen's proposals about generational renewal are very ambitious and far-reaching. There is a number of them I can absolutely work with while there are some I would struggle with. Working through these and looking for the flexibility at member-state level to design generational measures best suit our system will be an important part of that. In a broader sense beyond even generational renewal, but definitely linked to it, is that the definition of the "active farmer" will be a critical point and that is something I will have to agree on. Through the CAP consultative committee we continue to engage with all stakeholders and I look forward to debating this in the House with the Deputy and other colleagues and at committee as well.