Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 September 2013
69. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which in the aftermath of the agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy, he has succeeded or expects to succeed in ensuring the benefits accruing are adequately and fairly distributed with a view to meeting the social and economic requirements of the agri-sector and that due reward is given for effort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39514/13]
View answerAt all times in the course of the negotiations on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy my primary focus has been on the need to ensure a fair outcome for all farmers. Fairness of course informed my approach to perhaps the most high-profile issue in the negotiations, namely, the redistribution of direct payments within Member States. It also underpinned my approach to the negotiations on the rural development regulation, which I believe will contribute in a significant way to the socio-economic development of rural areas over the coming decade and ensured a balanced overall outcome to the reform process.
The distribution of direct payments within Member States was the single most important issue for Ireland in the CAP reform negotiations. I agreed very strongly with the argument that it was no longer justifiable to pay farmers on the basis of out-of-date historic entitlements. However, I also felt that it was not justifiable to transfer very large amounts of money over a relatively short period of time from our most productive farmers, as had been proposed by the Commission. I therefore pressed for an alternative model, which adopted a more measured approach, in that it acknowledged the Commission’s desire to move away from historical references, while not moving as far or as fast. I consider the final outcome - which also provides for a minimum payment of at least 60% of the national average payment - to be a fair one for all farmers, and one that will continue to support the ongoing development of the agri-food sector as envisaged under the Food Harvest 2020 strategy.
Of course many decisions remain to be taken on how the reform outcome will be implemented in Ireland. On direct payments, outstanding questions include whether entitlements should move towards the full national average or 90% of the national average, and at what level the minimum payment should be fixed. Over the coming weeks I will be reflecting on the views of stakeholders and interested parties on these and a range of other issues, as submitted to my Department during the consultation process which concluded last Friday, 20 September. My deliberations, and the decisions I make on the future structure of the direct payments system, will continue to be underpinned by the need for a fair and balanced approach.
In relation to Pillar 2, preparatory work for the next Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 is already well underway. An initial consultation process was launched in 2012, and written submissions were received from over 80 stakeholders. A second consultation was held in July, where stakeholders attended a full day workshop on the progress. Based on the outcome of these processes, the drafting of a new programme is being advanced in my Department, and it is intended that further stakeholder consultation will form part of this.
I intend to formulate and publicise the final shape of the CAP in Ireland towards the end of 2013.
