Farmers, loyal to the EU, are being made pay for the decision by one member state to leave, according to IFA president Joe Healy.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal after European Budget and Human Resource Commissioner Günther Oettinger revealed his draft budget proposals to MEPs in the European Parliament in Brussels, Healy made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

Healy also emphasised that these are proposals and, using a version of the Churchill line, said: “These are not the end or the beginning of the end but maybe the end of the beginning in that they are a starting point for tough negotiations.”

He highlighted the positive response to the consultation on the CAP last year where it was widely supported that member states should increase their contribution to the EU budget which would mean any cuts to any sector could be avoided.

The IFA president isn’t accepting a standstill arrangement, suggesting that if a full indexation of CAP payments isn’t possible this time around, that at least there should be a move in that direction.

His final word on the budget was that the European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had a job to do to persuade the remaining countries opposed to an increase in budget contribution to get on board.

On the proposed €60,000 upper farm payment limit proposed by Commissioner Hogan, Healy accepted there should be an upper limit as high payments to a small number of farmers presented a bad image of the CAP.

“To be honest, our focus has been on the overall budget and this isn’t something we have considered in detail yet.”

He wasn’t specific on where exactly the upper limit should be.

Healy also spoke about current trade deals, which were a mixed bag, but it is Mercosur he is most critical of.

“Despite Operation Weak Flesh, despite the JRC study showing there could be a drop of 16% in beef farm incomes, and despite the corruption and scandal that has gone on in Brazil, it is incredible and reckless to see European commissioners wanting at all costs to close that deal.”

Meanwhile, Ireland is not Brexit-ready and nothing has been said to date which will have Ireland prepared for a hard Brexit, according to Healy.

“I asked at the Brexit stakeholders meeting [two weeks ago] a question that had been put to me at Council the previous day – ‘What is Europe doing for Ireland and Ireland’s farmers if we finish up with a hard Brexit’ – and I haven’t got any answers.

“The drive is on to get a Brexit that is favourable and acceptable to the EU and obviously Ireland as part of that, but I haven’t heard of anything yet that has us prepared for a hard Brexit.”

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