Ireland’s position on how an active farmer should be defined in the context of receiving payments in the next CAP strongly backs part-time farmers.

Current proposals put forward by the European Commission for the next CAP include CAP funds being restricted “only to those persons whose principal activity is agriculture”.

However Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has dismissed these proposals and said that he is clear as he assumes the lead position in facilitating negotiations of member states agriculture ministers that part-time farmers are a vital cog in agricultural production and should receive access to CAP funds.

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Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, he said: “This is one of those really key points regarding the definition of an active farmer.

“I’m really clear – 43% of our farmers in Ireland have an off-farm income into the household, they are producing a lot of agricultural produce as well, so to my mind a part-time farmer is very much an active farmer.”

The minister is expecting opposing opinions from other member states, but is standing firmly behind his view; “other member states have different viewpoints and my job in the presidency is to bring all of those viewpoints together to try and get an agreed position, so we can go in then to the trilogues and negotiate as a united position in the [European] Council when we negotiate with the European Parliament”.

There will be a time for that debate, but as far as I am concerned that time is not now

The minister also stated this week at an event hosted by Teagasc in partnership with the EU CAP Network, titled Shaping the Future of Irish Agriculture, that it was premature to discuss how the shortfall from the proposed 24% cut in the CAP budget could be made up from increased national exchequer funding.

“There will be a time for that debate, but as far as I am concerned that time is not now,” he said. “There will be a time in the future where I will need sharp elbows at the cabinet table but Europe and [European Commission President Ursula] Von der Leyen would love us to start having that discussion now when there is still money to be chased in Europe. That’s very much the focus here – it’s not a trap to fall in to.”