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Neither Sinn Féin or Fianna Fáil have committed to using funds from the Irish Exchequer to offset looming cuts to the CAP budget.
Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy said his party would not support any European budget that included a cut to the CAP but did not clarify if the party would replace cuts to CAP spending.
He added his party would be critical of any intention to pay increased contributions to the Multiannual Financial Framework if increases were being used to fund centralised EU military apparatus while cutting farmer payments.
It would be premature to say the current proposals are ‘fait accompli’ and would undermine our negotiation position at EU level in the time ahead
Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson for agriculture Charlie McConalogue said his party would “do everything within its power to reverse cuts at EU level and ensure payments are maintained”.
“It would be premature to say the current proposals are ‘fait accompli’ and would undermine our negotiation position at EU level in the time ahead,” he added.
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated during the election campaign that he would make sure that the Irish Government would use its own funds to top up farmer payments in the event of a CAP cut.
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