Latest news with #CiaranMullooly
Agriland
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
MEP calls for immediate reversal of rural housing restrictions
Independent Ireland MEP, Ciaran Mullooly has today (May 19) urged local authorities to immediately reverse restrictions on one-off rural housing. The MEP has warned that current planning policies are driving a deepening emergency for families and communities across Ireland and Europe. Addressing the Housing Crisis Committee, MEP Mullooly highlighted the acute challenges faced by rural homeowners, particularly in Ireland, where building a home on family land has historically been the only viable route to homeownership for people. The MEP also condemned the 'growing' trend of local people being denied planning permission after incurring prohibitive costs for reports, only to be refused the right to build on ancestral land. According to the MEP, these barriers are 'fueling a cycle of depopulation', with young people unable to return, local schools losing teachers, sports clubs folding, and vital community hubs like pubs and post offices closing. Rural housing MEP Mullooly has criticised planning systems that prioritise environmental protections, such as safeguarding bogs, over the 'survival of rural communities'. He said: 'Let me be absolutely clear, rural Ireland is not a museum. It is not to be preserved for the benefit of planning documents or biodiversity reports. 'Rural Ireland is living and breathing, but struggling to survive, impacted by decisions made in distant rooms with no links to that place.' 'So we must see the full deployment of the Just Transition fund and ERDF fund to support these local communities,' Mullooly added. The MEP has called for a balanced approach that recognises both the socio-economic and cultural benefits of one-off housing and the advances in modern environmental techniques that can address legitimate concerns. Mullooly also warned that uncertainty over future funding in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF) threatens to undermine vital rural development efforts. He called for full deployment of the Just Transition fund and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to empower local communities and insisted that planning must be community-led and designed by locals rather than 'imposed from distant bureaucracies'.
Agriland
15-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Mullooly welcomes CAP simplification but with some concerns
Irish MEP Ciaran Mullooly has said he 'cautiously welcomes' the European Commission's package of measures to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, the MEP also said he was concerned over the proposed 'Crisis Fund', which would be financed for natural disasters or other crises, and which would be funded by 3% of a country's CAP envelope. Mullooly said that the package addresses several issues he had raised directly with Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen. He said a key measure is the introduction of a single annual inspection, which will cover all aspects of CAP compliance. 'This is a positive step towards reducing duplication and easing the burden on farmers,' Mullooly commented. He also said the removal of the controversial Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2 from baseline requirements is another significant development, saying the change will allow farmers to receive payments where restrictions are placed on their peatland or wetland areas. According to Mullooly, removal of mandatory buffer strips along watercourses in certain areas is welcomed, providing greater flexibility for land management. 'The increase in the inspection exemption threshold to €2,500 will further reduce the number of small farmers subject to inspection, cutting red tape for those least able to bear it. This threshold needs to reviewed upwards to except more farmers each year,' he said. However, Mullooly expressed serious concern about the proposed Crisis Fund, which would be financed by a 3% holdback of the CAP budget. This would effectively force farmers to fund compensation for their fellow farmers in the event of natural disasters or market crises. He called this a 'questionable and potentially unfair approach'. 'While the commission's proposals represent progress, the success or failure of this initiative will ultimately depend on the level of CAP funding going forward,' the MEP said. 'We must continue to closely monitor the implementation of these objectives and ensure that the interests of farmers remain protected,' Mullooly added. The commission's simplification proposals now will need to be approved by the European Parliament.
Agriland
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
Mullooly calls for unity among Irish MEPs to defend ag sector
Independent Ireland MEP, Ciaran Mullooly has expressed his disappointment at the lack of unity among Irish MEPs when it comes to defending robust safeguards for Irish family farmers, in the face of major EU trade decisions. The Midlands North West MEP highlighted the recent European Parliament votes on the Mercosur trade agreement, where a series of crucial amendments were brought forward to strengthen food safety, ensure fair competition, and uphold the interests of rural Ireland. The MEP said these amendments called for rigorous scrutiny of the Mercosur deal's impact on EU sustainability and food safety standards. He believes the amendments also demanded enforceable guarantees for a level playing field for EU farmers, and insisted that any agreement must fully comply with EU sustainability standards and the reciprocity principle before ratification. He said: 'One amendment even called for the deal to be scrapped altogether due to its negative implications for food safety, agricultural sovereignty, and the environment. 'At a time when Irish family farms are under unprecedented pressure, it is more important than ever that Irish MEPs stand together to defend our agricultural sector.' 'The lack of solidarity—especially from Fine Gael—on these vital safeguards is deeply disappointing and sends the wrong message to farmers who depend on us for representation and protection,' he added. According to MEP Mullooly, the Tánaiste, Simon Harris has publicly said that 'if given the chance he will absolutely have the backs of Irish farmers, and that the agricultural sector is extraordinarily important to Fine Gael'. MEP Ciaran Mullooly MEP Mullooly has also questioned why the Fine Gael party 'voted against the wishes of Irish family farmers'. He stressed that members of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee (AGRI) have a duty to act as vigilant defenders of Irish and EU food safety and rural livelihoods, and deal directly with the issues before them. 'Family farmers and rural communities deserve nothing less than full protection and honest representation at every stage,' he added.
