The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 21 Jan, 2022

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Environment

Period 1 Sep, 2021 to 31 Dec, 2021

Specific Details Nitrates Action Plan (NAP)

Intended results That the Government cannot use the Nitrates review to introduce measures that are more to do with delivering climate policy objectives, than improving water quality. To highlight that the Government must undertake a cost-benefit analysis to understand the economic cost of the proposed measures and the associated improvement to water quality before the viability of more family farms is undermined. To highlight that the proposed measures to cover slurry stores or the use of LESS have little to do with improving water quality, but more to do with reducing agriculture emissions. That the review must focus on supporting farmers to improve water quality. It must not be used as a vehicle for the Government to renege on its responsibility to support farmers in the low carbon transition. To seek an urgent meeting with the Minister for Agriculture and to highlight that IFA will be making a submission to the Nitrate Action Programme review. To Seek a meeting with Darragh O'Brien Minister, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. To seek an urgent meeting with the JOC on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to discuss Ireland's draft Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) – 2nd stage consultation and some of the proposed measures. That there is no acknowledgement in the consultation document on the impact of the proposed measures on family farm income or how farmers will be financially supported to implement the new measures. A cost-benefit analysis is required to understand the economic cost of the proposed measures and the associated improvement to water quality. To highlight that the single biggest issue that has not been addressed in the draft plan is the financial implications of the proposed measures and the risk of increasing the financial vulnerability of more farms. To highlight that where a measure has financial implications for farmers, grant aid and Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) schemes must be introduced to support their adoption to enable farmers to realise greater environmental standards, which would benefit the entire country. To acknowledge that the Government has taken on board many of IFA's recommendations and partially modified some of the measures. To stress that it's vital that programmes like the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) are expanded to support farmers and that the Department improves communication with farmers to support greater compliance.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Tim Cullinan IFA President, Paul O'Brien IFA Environmental Chair, Tadhg Buckley IFA Director of Policy/Chief Economist, Geraldine O'Sullivan Senior Environmental Policy Executive

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (6-10)

Letter (2-5)

Meeting (11-20)

Phone call (6-10)

Virtual Meeting (1)

Submission (1)

Social Media (2-5)

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Martin Browne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Matt Carthy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Collins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Flaherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Kehoe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Brian Leddin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Ring TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Victor Boyhan Senator (Seanad)

Lynn Boylan Senator (Seanad)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Tim Lombard Senator (Seanad)

Denis O'Donovan Senator (Seanad)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

Billy Kelleher MEP (European Parliament)

Chris MacManus MEP (European Parliament)

Ciarán Cuffe MEP (European Parliament)

Clare Daly MEP (European Parliament)

Colm Markey MEP (European Parliament)

Deirdre Clune MEP (European Parliament)

Frances Fitzgerald MEP (European Parliament)

Grace O'Sullivan MEP (European Parliament)

Luke "Ming" Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Maria Walsh MEP (European Parliament)

Mick Wallace MEP (European Parliament)

Seán Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Darragh O'Brien Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

James Browne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Cathal Berry TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Charlie McConalogue Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Aisling Dolan Senator (Seanad)

Seán Kyne Senator (Seanad)

Eileen Mannion Councillor (Galway County Council)

Dara Calleary TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Lisa Chambers Senator (Seanad)

Pippa Hackett Super Junior Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Seán Canney TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ciaran Cannon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Anne Rabbitte TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Éamon Ó Cuív TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mairéad Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Kyne Senator (Seanad)

Hildegarde Naughton TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Barry Cowen TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Pippa Hackett Super Junior Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Seán Fleming TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Ring TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Rose Conway-Walsh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Alan Dillon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paddy Burke Senator (Seanad)

Ollie Crowe Senator (Seanad)

Noel Grealish TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mairéad Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Hildegarde Naughton TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Catherine Connolly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Éamon Ó Cuív TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Aisling Dolan Senator (Seanad)

Eugene Murphy Senator (Seanad)

Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Claire Kerrane TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Denis Naughten TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Anne Rabbitte TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peter Keaveney Councillor (Galway County Council)

Michael Connolly Councillor (Galway County Council)

Chris MacManus MEP (European Parliament)

Noel Grealish TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Helen McEntee Minister (Department of Justice and Equality)

Damien English Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

Heather Humphreys Minister (Department of Social Protection)

Fergus O'Dowd TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Colm Hayes Assistant Secretary (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)