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Irish Examiner
17-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: CAP remains key to the entire rural economy
While we have long ceased to be an agrarian economy, food and agriculture remain vital cogs in the Irish economic machine. So when farmers voice concerns about changes to funding from Europe, we should listen. Farming might not be sexy to an urban population, but that population would find itself greatly impoverished without the things farmers produce. And the industry has such a seasonally and weather-dependent income, with wild fluctuations for the same produce or livestock over the course of time, that any disruption to more guaranteed lines of money become grave situations very quickly. This week, we heard from the Irish Farmers' Association that there is 'a big battle ahead' over EU farm supports, as well as fears that reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) — a European set piece — from 2027 will only undermine food production in this country. It is true that there is only ever so much money to go around, and that other countries have different priorities. It is also true that with European countries pivoting more toward defence spending, the money available for workhorses such as farming could be reduced to allow for investment elsewhere. The EU itself has previously announced an €800bn fund for defence, as well as earmarking sums for investment in AI so the bloc doesn't fall behind the likes of the US and, increasingly, China. Yet, we should be conscious of IFA president Francie Gorman's assessment that 'the CAP provides an annual injection of nearly €2bn into our rural economy to support food production … the CAP has been the cornerstone of the multi-billion export sector that underpins thousands of jobs in regions far from the urban centres'. We are known globally for our food and drink exports. They support many thousands of jobs nationwide, and Irish food can be found worldwide. But, as it is, regular readers of our farming supplement will know that many farms are already dependent on off-farm income, or are struggling to find successors. It would be devastating not just for rural Ireland, but for the economy as a whole, if the farming sector faced any significant decline. Housing targets Every day there seems to be a tighter squeeze on the housing market, from the median house price rising by a mind-numbing €35,000 in a year to parents needing to give substantial help to children buying their first homes to, now, finding that there were just 32 rental houses eligible for the housing assistance payment — and none at all in Cork City. Cork, you'll remember, has been targeted for enormous growth under the Government's development plans. But every day the goals and targets seem to not be getting closer, but to be running off into the distance. We are nowhere near completing the number of houses annually that experts believe the country needs and, quite apart from the cost of raw materials, the Irish Examiner has reported in recent weeks on how Ireland will need tens of thousands of extra workers just to meet building demand. Apartments may not be to everybody's liking, but they remain an efficient way of creating housing density in a relatively small area — the problem being that the higher the building, the more excruciating the cost. What more can be done at government level to address this? The housing crisis will, regrettably, only get worse before it gets better — and we have too many homeless families in this country as it is. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Body positive For a species that is naturally so varied in adaptability, taste, and any other category you can think of, we are on the whole utterly useless at properly supporting that diversity. We could pick any example, but in this instance let's focus on body image. Most of us do, after all, try to encourage our children (and grandchildren) to be their own person, to be comfortable in their own skin, to be who they are. So it is, as always, disheartening when you see online pile-ons criticising how anybody looks. The most pertinent this week being the actress Jennifer Love-Hewitt appearing at a film premiere not as she was in her 20s but — shock! horror! — like the woman in her mid-40s that she is. Body shaming is by no means an exclusively male endeavour, or even an exclusively adult one, but letting it go unchallenged seems like a disservice to, well, everyone. And we should note that this is the case when it comes to Love-Hewitt, with many people pushing back against the negative comments and praising her for her more natural look. While there is something to be commended in rejecting Hollywood stereotypes of what a woman — or indeed man — should look like, ultimately the positive portrayal and inclusion of different body shapes is far more important. The simple act of confidently existing should be enough, but even a cursory glance online will show that the act of existence can be seen by too many people as almost a personal affront. The battle to meet expectations for looks on screen has also seen some male stars going to absurd lengths. Chris Hemsworth has a special routine to drain fluid from his arms to make them look more muscular on camera, while Hugh Jackman typically doesn't drink for two days before shirtless scenes as Wolverine. None of this is healthy or relatable, yet some actors and actresses feel they have no choice because of whatever role they play or persona they have created. The objectification of the body, while it has sadly always been with us, seems to feel more weaponised in an era where influencers and grifters dribble detritus onto the phones of teens and adults alike 24/7. Certainly, there is an air of entitlement to judge, even if doing so shows the judges to be deficient in a great many qualities from empathy to discernment. The lesson, surely, is that for all our positive reinforcements, we as a species have a long way to go before we can truly be said to embrace our differences. Read More Irish Examiner view: International aid has a long way to go yet
The Age
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
Don't sacrifice us for beef deal with Australia, Irish farmers warn
London: Irish farmers have issued a blunt warning to European Union negotiators not to sacrifice rural livelihoods in the rush to strike a long-awaited trade agreement with Australia amid fears over unequal standards and pressure to deliver a geopolitical win. With formal negotiations between Canberra and Brussels restarting this month after a lengthy freeze, Irish farming leaders and political figures are demanding strict conditions on agricultural imports – particularly Australian beef – to ensure the deal does not undercut EU producers. 'We can't be anti-trade as Irish farmers – we export 90 per cent of our beef and 95 per cent of our dairy – but we need equivalence,' Irish Farmers' Association policy director Tadhg Buckley said. 'But we can't have a situation where products coming in ... didn't have to put up with the same level of regulation that we had.' The proposed trade pact, launched in 2018, stalled in 2023 over access for Australian beef, lamb, dairy and sugar to the European market, as well as EU demands around geographic labelling protections and environmental safeguards. But officials on both sides are returning to negotiations after US President Donald Trump's global tariff war began. Buckley said Irish farmers accepted the importance of global trade but rejected any deal that left them exposed to unfair competition, particularly hormone-treated beef from Australia. 'We do know … a significant chunk of Australian beef is hormone beef or has used hormones. I'm not saying it's unsafe ... but we can't see that coming into the EU because simply it would give that product a competitive advantage over Irish values,' he said. An estimated 40 per cent of cattle in Australia is treated with growth promotants to boost weight gain in the animals, which can improve the efficiency of meat production by about 15 per cent. Using growth hormones in beef production has been banned in the EU since 1989. 'We just want equivalence of standards. We cannot have a situation where our EU negotiators just decide to sacrifice beef farmers for getting access to services in Australia or whatever.'
Sydney Morning Herald
25-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Don't sacrifice us for beef deal with Australia, Irish farmers warn
London: Irish farmers have issued a blunt warning to European Union negotiators not to sacrifice rural livelihoods in the rush to strike a long-awaited trade agreement with Australia amid fears over unequal standards and pressure to deliver a geopolitical win. With formal negotiations between Canberra and Brussels restarting this month after a lengthy freeze, Irish farming leaders and political figures are demanding strict conditions on agricultural imports – particularly Australian beef – to ensure the deal does not undercut EU producers. 'We can't be anti-trade as Irish farmers – we export 90 per cent of our beef and 95 per cent of our dairy – but we need equivalence,' Irish Farmers' Association policy director Tadhg Buckley said. 'But we can't have a situation where products coming in ... didn't have to put up with the same level of regulation that we had.' The proposed trade pact, launched in 2018, stalled in 2023 over access for Australian beef, lamb, dairy and sugar to the European market, as well as EU demands around geographic labelling protections and environmental safeguards. But officials on both sides are returning to negotiations after US President Donald Trump's global tariff war began. Buckley said Irish farmers accepted the importance of global trade but rejected any deal that left them exposed to unfair competition, particularly hormone-treated beef from Australia. 'We do know … a significant chunk of Australian beef is hormone beef or has used hormones. I'm not saying it's unsafe ... but we can't see that coming into the EU because simply it would give that product a competitive advantage over Irish values,' he said. An estimated 40 per cent of cattle in Australia is treated with growth promotants to boost weight gain in the animals, which can improve the efficiency of meat production by about 15 per cent. Using growth hormones in beef production has been banned in the EU since 1989. 'We just want equivalence of standards. We cannot have a situation where our EU negotiators just decide to sacrifice beef farmers for getting access to services in Australia or whatever.'
Irish Examiner
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Kerry farmers on route of proposed greenway call on council to honour agreements on compensation
Farmers on lands crossed by the South Kerry Greenway are calling on Kerry County Council to honour agreements on compensation. At a meeting near Caherciveen, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) heard of anger among farmers about the length of time the greenway works were taking, the way the work was being carried out, and a lack of assurances about compensation. The IFA had objected to the greenway, partly because the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) contravened an undertaking in 2011 to farmers they would not be imposed. The greenway finally got the official planning go-ahead in 2022, coming after the Supreme Court rejected two applications to appeal a decision of the High Court. Objectors claimed planning permission contravened EU directives on environmental impact assessment and habitats, adding not enough was done to protect the Kerry slug and lesser horseshoe bat. However, IFA Kerry chair Jason Fleming said, broadly speaking, people wanted the greenway to be built. 'Nobody is opposed to it, but it is the way the council is going about it that is the issue,' he said. Mr Fleming said the IFA was to request a face-to-face meeting with the council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which has so far provided €15.9m in funding. 'We want agreements honoured around the necessary works that need to be carried out, like the reinstatement of boundary walls, and which the council agreed would be done with the approval of landowners,' he said. 'We want our members to be compensated and we want to know when the greenway is actually going to be finished.' Minister of state Michael Healy-Rae, who attended the two-hour meeting, said: 'There are issues that need to be sorted by the local authority, but I believe that, through negotiation, they can be sorted. Kerry needs the greenway. It is a lifeline to the community.'
Agriland
12-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Investments being ‘postponed' due to planning exemption delay
Farmers are now postponing their on-farm slurry storage investments due to the delay in the government confirming the exemption to planning rules for storage infrastructure. That is according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), which said that the postponing of investments is 'hugely regrettable' in the context of our efforts to improve water quality. The farm organisation called for 'immediate government action' to address this delay. Eamon Carroll, the ICMSA deputy president, said: 'The current limbo that some farmers find themselves in is due to the delay in publishing the long-awaited planning exemption on slurry storage, and a level of clarity could be brought to this issue in a matter of days if the political will is there to do so. 'Farmers took the government announcement in autumn 2024 in good faith that a planning exemption would be in place in January 2025 and six months later, we are no further on. 'The reality is that if a farmer had applied for planning permission in January 2025, they would be through the process at this stage in most cases, but they took the government's word on this issue and are now in limbo, unable to invest,' Carroll said. The ICMSA is calling on the government to outline exactly what it is proposing; what will be allowed and not allowed under the planning exemption; and what date the exemption will be in place from. 'Based on this information, a farmer can make a judgement call to wait for exemption or go ahead and apply for planning permission,' Carroll said. 'It is hugely disappointing that at this stage, many farmers are going to miss out on the best months of the year for doing storage investment on their farm…this is really hampering farmer efforts in terms of improving water quality. 'This needs to stop,' he added, calling on the government to immediately publish the detail and allow farmers to make and informed decision on how to proceed with water quality investments on their farmers. 'Farmers are willing to do their part and the government needs to step up immediately on this issue,' he added. The relevant ministers have previously indicated that exemption under planning rules for slurry storage is 'expected' to be in place to coincide with the tranche of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) that is set to open on September 6 and close on December 5. At the beginning of April, a delegation from the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) met with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, and Minister of State with responsibility for housing, John Cummins, on the promised exemption for stand-alone slurry storage. It was during this meeting that the September timeline was given, it is understood.
