The redistribution of direct payments will be a key feature of the next CAP, as Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin were challenged on their position at the Irish Farmers Journal election debate.

Contrasting views on convergence.

Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy, a sitting MEP and running for election in the Cavan/Monaghan constituency, outlined the most radical proposals. He said Sinn Féin favours full convergence of payments along with front-loaded payments of €400/ha on the first 30ha.

“That’s not because we want to take money from one farmer and give it to another, we want to address a historical inequality that’s been in position in Irish farming for the past number of decades.”

Pause

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, running for Fine Gael in Cork North-West, disagreed with Carthy.

He said: “That quantum leap in one fell swoop is not realistic and would do untold damage to Irish agriculture and our agri food industry.”

Minister Creed stressed he was not against convergence, with €100m having moved between farmers over the past five years. However, he said convergence needed to be paused for the duration of the CAP transition period, which may last up to two years.

“Pause it because the convergence was signed up to for a period of five years, we have uncertainty around the budget and what that budget will ultimately be. Until we have clarity around that issue, we should not inflict further cuts on farmers’ single farm payments.”

Caution

Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson for agriculture Charlie McConalogue, a candidate in Donegal, favoured a middle ground, with convergence continuing during the transition period but to a limited extent.

The European Commission has proposed payments reach 75% of the national average by 2026, with 60% achieved in 2019.

McConalogue said: “We would continue the work through the transition period towards the minimum of 75% and in the wider issue of what level of convergence is required I think the budget has to be clarified and that battle has to be fought first.”

Payment limit

Creed also took issue with Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil’s positions on CAP payments. Both favour a €60,000 limit, which Creed labelled “populist claptrap”.

Creed said there was no disagreement with the principle of capping, but that there were just 716 farmers with a payment greater than €60,000. Carthy said it was “morally unjustifiable” that some farmers drew down payments worth hundreds of thousands while most farmers received just a fraction of that.