Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has not ruled out the possibility of introducing front-loaded payments in the next CAP.

Front-loading involves payment top-ups on a farmer’s existing entitlements for the first hectares of a farm, aimed at supporting small farms.

Minister McConalogue is opposed to the mandatory introduction of these payments. He said it is a decision that should be made nationally.

It’s something that the door should be left open for us to have that national debate on

“It’s not something the door should be closed to,” he said, in an interview with the Irish Farmers Journal.

“It’s something that the door should be left open for us to have that national debate on, as opposed to Europe dictating what should happen.”

CAP negotiators are debating a mandatory 10% frontloading scheme, which would require a linear cut to all farmers’ direct payments.