Department of Agriculture officials have yet to start working on Ireland’s CAP proposal – they have about 18 months to get the proposal across the line. Assistant secretary general at the Department, Brendan Gleeson, told an Oireachtas Committee on Tuesday that planning the CAP would be a tough task, “even if we were to start today and, to be honest, we haven’t”. Farm organisations are meeting with the Department next Wednesday to discuss CAP and the countdown is on to get Ireland’s proposal approved by the Commission.