I am acutely aware of the burden of regulation on farmers. I am, of course. also aware of the State's obligations to comply with the law, and the potential serious implications for farm payments of any failure to do so.
Against that background, my department's objective is to meet its legal obligations while minimising the burden on farmers.
For example, my Department minimises the number of farm visits by stacking inspections where possible and by liaising with Local Authorities to ensure that duplication is avoided.
In addition, due to the very wet winter and spring periods, I has taken the decision to apply force majeure in relation to the GAEC 7 crop diversification requirement for 2024 and this will ease the burden on farmers who were faced with a very difficult situation in trying to meet the crop diversification requirements as part of GAEC 7 (two/three-crop rule).
In July 2023, my Department launched the Reconstitution Scheme for Ash Dieback under the new Forestry Programme 2023-27. This operates pursuant to the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation (ABER), which declares specific categories of aid compatible with EU State aid rules. This simplified process allows Member States to provide aid quickly and in a transparent manner.
This scheme contains a number of enhanced features, including a doubling of the site clearance grant rate, enhanced replanting grant rates and the inclusion of a top up premium for those in receipt of farmer rate of premium. I understand that Minister Hackett will be bringing further proposals to Government shortly.
Our current Nitrates Derogation runs until the end of 2025. The Irish Government is absolutely committed to applying for an extension to the Derogation post-2025. That process will commence formally in the coming months. As part of that process, the Government will make the best case possible to retain the maximum stocking rates under a derogation post-2025.
The launch of the National Fertiliser Database has reduced the administrative burden for those availing of the Nitrates Derogation. They can now apply for the derogation without the need to submit fertiliser accounts to the Department in the subsequent year.
The Nature Restoration Law is a matter for the EU Environment Council in the first instance. An agreement on the EU Nature Restoration Law has not yet been reached at Council. Should the proposal be adopted, the legal obligation to achieve targets within the proposal is on the Member State, not on individuals.
The Government is clear that all restoration measures will be voluntary and is committed to ensuring that nature restoration provides additional income streams for landowners and brings benefits to rural economies. Any restoration measures that landowners choose to participate in will be incentivised and resourced.
The commission has indicated that any restoration measures will not negatively impact any existing CAP commitment, or any other scheme or incentive delivered by my Department.
At National level, The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are leading Ireland's negotiating position on the Nature Restoration Law. My Department will continuing to engage with them as necessary.
Regarding the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), while advance payments totalling €88.4 million were made, between December and February 2024, to almost 20,000 participants, it was not possible, due to it being the first year of implementing a new innovative scheme, to issue advance payments to all 46,000 participants in 2023 as planned.
In response to concerns about the timeliness of ACRES payments, I acted decisively earlier this year in a very practical way through the issuing of nationally-funded interim payments of €4,000 to ACRES General participants and €5,000 to ACRES Co-operation participants who had experienced delays in the processing of their advance ACRES payments.
Just under €120 million was accordingly paid in such interim payments to 25,000 ACRES participants by mid-March 2024, which brought the overall total of payments, to date, to participants in Tranche 1 of ACRES to €207.9 million.
The pace of regulatory change in the European Union over the past few years has been extraordinary. This Government is acutely conscious of the need to keep this regulatory framework as simple as possible. European support schemes for farmers are there to encourage and support farmers to transition to a more sustainable way of farming.
Environmental regulations are there to mitigate climate change, enhance biodiversity, and protect water quality. I accept that the regulatory burden for farmers and others is increasing. This is why we are listening to farmers and engaging with the European Commission to ensure that new regulations are as practical as possible and take into account the views of those who have to implement them.
At the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers I have supported the Commission’s proposals regarding increased flexibility in application of the GAECs in order to better respond to the challenges farmers are facing While meeting their objectives, Member States need to have flexibility regarding how GAECs are implemented in order to address their national circumstances. Another issue I have raised is for the Commission to provide clearer guidance to Member States on flexibility in other areas included force majeure and how to manage simple unintentional errors made by farmers.
Fundamentally, I consider that we need to keep a focus on simplification and I have called on the Commission and all Member States to commit ourselves to the goal of simplification as an ongoing and overarching objective and to ensure ongoing consultation with farmers as we do this.
