Outgoing Taoiseach Simon Harris has pledged that his party will review how farm payments are allocated among farmers and stated that schemes have to become more farmer-friendly.

In a bid to sway the farming vote towards Fine Gael on election day, he said the payment model of ‘costs incurred and income forgone’ needs to be changed.

“There used to be a better way. Farmers have told me that the whole-of-farm view worked out much better. If you keep the current model, there is no incentive or reward for farmers,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Harris also wants the CAP budget to be bigger, and said that further EU climate and defence spending must not come at the expense of farming.

“We need to make sure that any new things farmers are being asked to do come with new money.”

He also vowed that his party is “absolutely” going to deliver a farm retirement scheme, if re-elected.