Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Agriculture and Food Charlie McConalogue says he is appalled by the UK Farm Minister Andrea Leadsom’s attack on the Common Agriculture Policy.
He says her comments, claiming that farmers would be better off outside CAP, fail to recognise the key role it plays in the food production chain on the island of Ireland.
Deputy McConalogue said, “Minister Leadsom’s firebrand attack on the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy clearly demonstrates her blissful ignorance of the subject. CAP payments play a key role in sustaining small farmers and rural communities on the island of Ireland. While improvements can always be made in its operation, 87% of farmers in the North are dependent on CAP subsidies to sustain their businesses.
Deputy McConalogue says the possibility of a hard border between the North and South would be disastrous, considering the amount of cross-border agri-food trade.
He has called on Minister Creed must take the lead on this issue and ensure that the interests of Irish farmers are fully protected from the challenges which Brexit brings with it.
