Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 May 2021
273. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans introducing a limit on the maximum farm grants that would be payable to farmers under the forthcoming CAP programme; if so, the conditions that will attach to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28956/21]
View answerThe draft proposals for the new CAP Programme propose capping of Basic Income Support Scheme (BISS) payments above €100,000 with degressivity possible between €60,000 and €100,000 and which includes options to offset some salaries against that limit. The draft proposals include a number of measures which concern redistribution of direct payments, including:
1. An overall cap of €100,000;
2. Degressive reduction of payments above €60,000;
3. A complementary redistributive income support scheme, and
4. The convergence of payments towards the average payment per hectare nationally.
At present, Ireland has implemented the maximum level of capping allowed under the regulations -100% capping of payment entitlement value above €150,000. If the maximum capping allowable under the proposed regulations were implemented, the maximum BISS payment would be c. €82,000. It seems likely that other direct payments, such as eco-schemes, would be excluded from this capping.
These redistributive mechanisms are core EU policies and are set to continue under the draft regulations for the new CAP. There has been extensive engagement and consultation with stakeholders on this process since the draft proposals were announced. I continue to engage with stakeholders with a view to ensuring that the developing EU regulations include a suite of measures which will enable us to ensure the fair implementation of these vital financial supports.
These measures, and others under the direct payments ceiling, are inextricably linked to each other. This means that each time one of the elements is changed, each of the other elements also are affected. Discussions are continuing around the new legislative proposals for the CAP and the final shape of the regulations and the options available to Member States will not be clear until this process is concluded. The Department continues to play a proactive role in this process.
