Government Must Secure Ireland’s Full National Envelope in Eu Budget Talks – IFA

Commenting on the EU Budget proposals, IFA President John Bryan said he was disappointed that direct payments will not be index linked for the period 2014-2020, and said the CAP Budget should have benefited from the overall 5% increase that has been put forward.

Mr Bryan said funding for other programmes cannot come from the existing CAP payments to farmers.

The IFA President said the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney must engage with other member states in the negotiations ahead to ensure that Ireland secures its full envelope of funding, and active producers are fully supported.

He continued, “The funding that Ireland receives through the CAP is of vital importance in underpinning agricultural production, supporting farm incomes and driving growth in the agri-food sector and wider rural economy.”

The €1.6bn allocation for Ireland under the CAP is redistributed across the economy, through expenditure by farmers on locally provided inputs, labour, goods and services.

The CAP also supports the provision by farmers of non-market public goods, including environmental protection, landscape management, high quality food and animal health and welfare standards
. Rural Development funding provides support for agri-environment measures, Disadvantaged Areas, and on-farm modernisation and investment