Latest news with #GAEC
Agriland
29-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
The Farming Week: Future of CAP, tractors on motorways and fox hunting
The Farming Week: Future of CAP, tractors on motorways and fox hunting May 29, 2025 5:00 pm Charles O'Donnell and Aisling O'Brien bring you the biggest stories of the week in Irish agriculture from Agriland, which this week includes: The future for CAP; Court blocks Trump tariffs; Call for tractors to be banned from motorways; EPA notes 'some progress' made on agricultural emissions; GAEC 2 appeals system due shortly; TD seeks to ban fox hunting. Don't forget to rate, review and follow The Farming Week, Agriland's weekly review of Irish agriculture, and visit for more. *This podcast is sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance
Agriland
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
Heydon to meet joint agri committee for first time as DAFM minister
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon will appear in a public meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine today (Wednesday, May 28). This will be the first session of the committee that the minister will appear at in his role as the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Minister Heydon's previous appearances at the committee, in its previous iteration before the general election last year, were in his then role as minister for state with responsibility for new market development, farm safety, and research and development. This will be the first meeting of the current committee, post-general election, where it will carry out its role of scrutinising the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the ministers responsible for it. Previous meetings of the current committee dealt with its internal business, such as choosing a chairperson. A range of topics are set to come up at this evening's meeting, including the eradication of TB; the controversial GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition) 2; broader issues on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); and the nitrates derogation. The meeting will take place in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House, and is scheduled to begin at 4:00p.m. The meeting can be viewed on the Oireachtas TV website. Speaking ahead of committee meeting, its chairperson, Fianna Fáil Cork North-West TD Aindrias Moynihan, said: 'Our committee looks forward to our first meeting tomorrow and very much welcomes this early opportunity to engage with Minister Heydon. 'We hope it will be the first in a series of meetings with the minister and we thank him for making time in his schedule to attend,' Moynihan added. The details of the membership of the committee were confirmed earlier this month. The committee has 14 members – nine TDs and five senators. The membership of each committee usually reflects the proportion of the seats held by each of the political parties in the houses of the Oireachtas. Oireachtas committees have the power to invite submissions; hold hearings with stakeholders and ministers; and draft and publish reports. The membership of the committee is as follows: TDs: Aindrias Moynihan (chairperson) – Cork North-West, Fianna Fáil; William Aird (deputy chairperson) – Laois, Fine Gael; Peter 'Chap' Cleere – Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fáil; Joe Cooney – Clare, Fine Gael; Michael Fitzmaurice – Roscommon-Galway, Independent Ireland; Danny Healy-Rae – Kerry, independent; Martin Kenny – Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Féin; Paul Lawless – Mayo, Aontú; Natasha Newsome Drennan – Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Féin. Senators (all elected from Agricultural Panel): Victor Boyhan – independent; Paraic Brady – Fine Gael; Joanne Collins – Sinn Féin; Paul Daly – Fianna Fáil; Eileen Lynch – Fine Gael.
Agriland
26-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Heydon downplays GAEC 2 CAP flexibility for Irish farmers
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has moved to downplay the importance to Irish farmers of the European Commission's decision to provide flexibility around the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC), specifically GAEC 2. Minister Heydon told Agriland that the financial implication of the standard, which may impact farmers in some member states, 'isn't the case in Ireland'. GAEC 2 is the conditionality standard of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) related to the protection of peatlands and wetlands. It formally entered into force in early May. Earlier this month, the commission announced a raft of measures to simplify the current 2023-2027 CAP, including an allowance for member states to include disadvantages to farmers arising from the conditionality standard to be incorporated into calculations for payments for eco-schemes and agri-environmental measures. However, the minister had repeatedly said that the enforcement of GAEC 2 in Ireland will not change how Irish farmers farm day-to-day. For that reason, he indicated, the flexibility around the conditionality standard would not necessarily be of benefit to Irish farmers. He told Agriland: 'Whether [the GAEC 2 flexibility] will make a material difference to farmers' day-to-day lives, I'm not convinced of that. '[There] may be some flexibility around eco-schemes…in other countries where there's a financial implication. That isn't the case in Ireland. 'Farmers continue to be able to farm as they have done on a day-to-day basis under GAEC 2, so letters that those farmers received…still stand. Farmers don't have anything to fear from GAEC 2. It does not change their day-to-day activity,' Minister Heydon said. 'There won't be a raft of farmers who are impacted or fined as a result of any of the outcomes of GAEC 2,' he added. The minister expressed similar sentiments in response to a parliamentary question from Labour Party TD Robert O'Donoghue, who asked the minister to outline his position on the matter. The minister told O'Donoghue: 'It is important to note two points regarding the possibility of providing specific support measures under the [CAP Strategic Plan] for GAEC 2 requirements. First, Ireland's CAP strategic plan funding is already fully committed under the existing schemes and no new funding is available as part of the simplification proposals. 'Second, the GAEC 2 standard for Ireland, as recently introduced, is based on existing national legislation and usual farming practices,' he added.
Agriland
19-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Kelly: Package ‘puts trust back in the hands of farmers'
Fine Gael MEP, Sean Kelly has welcomed the European Commission's proposals to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Ireland South MEP said the proposal is a positive development, and a direct response to the growing frustration among farmers who have 'long struggled with red tape and overly frigid rules'. MEP Kelly also described the announcement as a 'good day for Irish agriculture' and highlighted several key elements in the package. He said: 'Simplification, flexibility, less bureaucracy, these are exactly the changes our farmers have been calling for. 'This is not just a minor adjustment, it's a shift in tone that puts trust back in the hands of farmers,' he added. The MEP has welcomed the increased flat-rate payment for small farmers and greater discretion of member states. 'Raising the flat-rate payment limit to €2,500 is practical and fair. It will ease the burden on small family farms and save time and money. That's common sense policy,' Kelly explained. MEP Kelly Kelly was particularly encouraged by the approach taken on Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2, which addresses wetland and peatland management. He said: 'This was a major concern voiced by farmers I've met across Ireland in recent weeks. The flexibility to reward environmental stewardship rather than penalise it is a breakthrough. 'Farmers working on peatlands and wetlands will now be supported, not punished, for their efforts.' 'I believe this progress stems in no small part from the influence of the EPP Group in the parliament. With 188 members, we've ensured that the voice of farmers is heard clearly in Brussels,' he added. The MEP believes that the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, 'understands agriculture' and has shown he is willing to act. 'This package is the beginning of restoring agriculture to its rightful place at the top of the European agenda,' Kelly said. 'I sincerely hope all Irish MEPs will come together now to support these proposals as they move through parliament.' 'Agriculture is Ireland's primary industry – and it deserves a common effort to ensure farmers have the tools they need to thrive,' he added.
Agriland
14-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Heydon: GAEC 2 concerns ‘are misplaced for a variety of reasons'
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, told the Dáil today (Wednesday, May 14) that the concerns farmers have shared around Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions 2 (GAEC) are 'misplaced for a variety of reasons'. Minister Heydon said for 'the vast majority of farmers' GAEC 2 will have no impact on their day-to-day operations. He also detailed that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has written to all farmers who have at least one parcel identified as GAEC 2 and supplied a map and further information on requirements. Minister Heydon confirmed that the only people who will know if land is subject to GAEC 2 is the 'farmer and the Department of Agriculture. The map is not published anywhere'. The minister again outlined to the Dáil that GAEC 2 is 'a mandatory condition for the payment of Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS)' and that EU regulations require all member states to have a standard in place from the start of this year. He said Ireland had taken the 'maximum flexibility' allowed to delay the introduction of the standard until 2025. Minister Heydon told TDs: 'Many other member states introduced it in 2023, when we as a country signed up to this and said we would do it. 'A further deferral for 2025 was sought by Ireland, asking the European Commission for additional time. 'We received a very clear response from the commission that no further deferral would be approved. If I did not introduce this standard in 2025, Ireland would be in serious breach of the EU regulations governing Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plans'. Minister Heydon According to the minister this would have lead to 'significant fines' if Ireland had not followed through on the introduction of GAEC 2. 'I could not let that happen. I could not let a fine come in that would have taken away money that I want to spend on supporting our farmers instead. 'The standard that has been introduced for 2025 provides a baseline protection for carbon-rich soils, while allowing agricultural activity to continue,' he said. Minister Heydon also told the Dáil that even if a land parcel is in GAEC 2 farmers can 'continue to farm as they have always done in the past'. 'In Ireland, our grass-based system already provides considerable protection for such soils and they are also protected by existing national planning provisions, for example on drainage. 'As I said, agricultural activity can continue. For example, ploughing, reseeding and maintenance of existing drains is all still allowed. 'New drainage is also possible in line with the existing national provisions, which have been in place for many years. Therefore, the introduction of this standard is expected to have minimal impact on farmers' day-to-day operations,' he added.
