Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has announced that he is extending the public consultation on the draft interventions proposed for the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan by a week.

Farmers now have until Friday 3 September to make submissions under the consultation process. The previous deadline was 27 August.

Minister McConalogue said he is committed to ensuring that all farmers have an opportunity to have their voices heard as part of the consultation process.

This is one of the most important CAP programmes in the history of the policy

The Minister also called three town hall meetings in August as part of the consultation process to give farmers an update on the draft interventions.

“I have said from the start that I want farmers to be at the very centre of the entire CAP process. This is one of the most important CAP programmes in the history of the policy so it is crucial that farmers have their voices heard.

“That is why I have moved to provide an extra week as part of this current consultation process allowing farmers until Friday 3 September to make a submission.

“It’s critical to note that we are just in a consultation process with nothing set in stone. I committed to bringing this CAP consultation to every farmer in the country and I am doing that.”

I will personally lead a large and wide consultation process

The Minister also confirmed that he will lead a further consultation process later in the year before the final CAP programme is sent to the European Commission for scrutiny no later than 1 January 2022.

“Later in the year, I will personally lead a large and wide consultation process. It's critical to note that no decision has been made or taken, I want farmers to feed in as much as possible. It's their CAP reform.

I continue to listen to and engage with farmers on the CAP as it is their deal and I want them to be at the very centre of it

“I said once the CAP deal received political agreement in Luxembourg earlier in the summer that I am committed to bringing this CAP deal to every calving shed, every milking parlour, every tillage field and every kitchen table and I intend on doing that.

“I will personally chair a large series of consultation meetings later in the year before we send the final CAP programme to the European Commission who must approve the deal. I continue to listen to and engage with farmers on the CAP as it is their deal and I want them to be at the very centre of it.”

How to make a submission

Farmers can email or send their submissions to the Department be emailing them to CAPStrategicPlan@agriculture.gov.ie or sending them by post to:

CAP Rural Development Division,

Agriculture House,

Kildare Street,

Dublin,

D02 WK12.

Submissions should be marked: ‘draft interventions for CAP Strategic Plan’, the Department said.