IFA President to Discuss Cap Budget with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Paris

IFA President John Bryan will meet the Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Paris today (Mon) and call on him to resist pressure from some member states for a reduction in the overall CAP Budget post-2013.   In his meeting with the Taoiseach, John Bryan will re-iterate the importance of securing a fully-funded Budget for the Single Farm Payment and Rural Development measures for vulnerable sectors and regions.
John Bryan welcomed the fact that the Taoiseach held discussions with the French President Francois Hollande today. “The French have always been strong allies of ours in defending the CAP, and it is vital that we strengthen that alliance ahead of the Heads of Government meeting next month, which will have to put in place a full Budget up to 2020 that guarantees the Single Farm Payment and a Rural Development Programme.”

The IFA President, who also met with the French farmers organisation FNSEA, will be visiting the SIAL international food fair. He said the overwhelming view of over 1,500 farmers who attended last week’s meetings on CAP in Claremorris, Kilkenny and Mallow, and the 20,000 farmers who recently marched in Dublin, was that the Ciolos proposals on CAP must be rejected because of the damage they would do to Irish agriculture.

He said, “The Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney received a very clear message at each of the regional meetings about the negative impact of the flat-rate system and regionalisation, as it would cause major disruption at farm level.  The Government must step up its negotiations to ensure an outcome that supports production”.

John Bryan said, “The future of farming in this country depends greatly on the Single Farm Payment and Rural Development measures for vulnerable sectors and regions, including the option of coupled payments. For Pillar 11, this means 50:50 co-financing from the Irish Government”.

Concluding, Mr Bryan said farmers were very concerned about the level of cuts that could be imposed if the Ciolos proposals went ahead. “The Minister set out his alternative model, which would also include reductions in the Single Farm Payment for some of our most productive farmers. The onus is on Minister Coveney to work with other member states to deliver a CAP Budget and a payment system that does not undermine the sector.