IFA president Joe Healy met the EU’s chief negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier, in Dublin last week at an event hosted by the EU Commission. This was the second time Healy met Barnier, following a meeting in Brussels last month.

Healy said: “Michel Barnier displayed a very good understanding of the unique issues facing Irish farmers when we met. I emphasised to him at both opportunities that minimising the disruption to trade with the UK must be included as a priority in the discussions on the border. In addition, it is critical that the second phase of negotiations, which will deal with the future relationship between the EU and UK, starts as soon as possible.”

He said: “It is also critically important that the strongest trading relationship is maintained with the UK, the market to which more than 40% of our food exports go. In addition, the value of the UK market must be upheld, and we need a fully funded CAP after 2020.” Meanwhile, IFA national livestock chair Angus Woods discussed the implications of Brexit for Irish farming with a delegation from the European People’s Party (EPP) when he hosted them on his farm last week.

Minister of State Andrew Doyle led the delegation, which was attending a two-day meeting of the EPP in Wicklow. Among the group was chair of the EPP, Manfred Weber and three Irish MEPs – Mairead McGuinness, Brian Hayes and Sean Kelly.

Woods said: “As livestock chair, I set out the very serious implications for the Irish beef and livestock sector to the MEPs. The UK is our most valuable market and this has to be to the forefront of the negotiations on Brexit.”

Keep up with the IFA campaign on Brexit at www.ifa.ie/brexit