The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Politician(s) lobbied: Alison Comyn (Senator), Seanad; Andrea McKevitt (Councillor), Louth County council; Anne-Marie Ford (Councillor), Louth County council; Antoín Watters (Councillor), Louth County council; Bernie Conlon (Councillor), Louth County council; Ciarán Fisher (Councillor), Louth County council; Debbie McCole (Councillor), Louth County council; Declan Power (Councillor), Louth County council; Dolores Minogue (Councillor), Louth County council; Ejiro O'Hare Stratton (Councillor), Louth County council; Emma Coffey (Councillor), Louth County council; Eric Donovan (Councillor), Louth County council; Erin McGreehan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Fiona Mhic Conchoille (Councillor), Louth County council; Ged Nash (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; James Byrne (Councillor), Louth County council; Jim Tenanty (Councillor), Louth County council; Joanna Byrne (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; John Reilly (Councillor), Louth County council; John Sheridan (Councillor), Louth County council; Kevin Callan (Councillor), Louth County council; Kevin Meenan (Councillor), Louth County council; Maeve Anna Yore (Councillor), Louth County council; Marianne Butler (Councillor), Louth County council; Michelle Hall (Councillor), Louth County council; Paddy McQuillan (Councillor), Louth County council; Paula Butterly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Pearse McGeough (Councillor), Louth County council; Pio Martin Smith (Councillor), Louth County council; Rachel Kerley (Councillor), Louth County council; Robert Nash (Councillor), Louth County council; Ruairí Ó Murchú (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Seán Kelly (Councillor), Louth County council; Shane McGuinness (Councillor), Louth County council; Sionainn McCann (Councillor), Louth County council

Intent: To invite local public representatives to the IFA Louth Summer Event.

Methods: EmailEvent / ReceptionInformal communication

Politician(s) lobbied: Bernard Moynihan (Councillor), Cork County Council; Ian Doyle (Councillor), Cork County Council; Eileen Coleman (Director of Services or Equivalent), Cork County Council

Intent: To meet with the Mayor of County Cork to discuss the importance of the agriculture industry and associated industries in County Cork.::To discuss the upcoming economic report on agriculture in Cork.

Methods: EmailInformal communicationMeetingSocial Media

Politician(s) lobbied: Eimear Cotter (Director), Environmental Protection Agency

Intent: To nominate Tadhg Buckley, Director of Policy and Chief Economist to be appointed to the GMO Advisory Committee.::To accept the appointment to the GMO Advisory Committee.

Methods: Letter

Politician(s) lobbied: Aengus Ó Snodaigh (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Conor D McGuinness (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Eoin Ó Broin (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Mairéad Farrell (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Rose Conway-Walsh (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Victor Boyhan (Senator), Seanad; John Cummins (Minister of State), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; James Browne (Minister), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Dara Calleary (Minister), Department of Social Protection; Kevin 'Boxer' Moran (Minister of State), Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Erin McGreehan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Paula Butterly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: To welcome the launch of the Draft Sustainable Rural and Gaeltacht Housing National Planning Statement as a positive step for rural Ireland.::To highlight that excessive planning restrictions that prevent access to housing have become one of the main barriers facing young people and families who want to live, work, and be part of a community in rural Ireland.::To highlight that IFA have pursued this issue for some time as it's something that our members in every part of the country bring up. For too long, rigid and inconsistent planning guidelines have prevented people with genuine local and family connections from building houses and making homes in their own communities. The launch of today's policy should go some way towards addressing this problem.::To stress that this new policy must deliver several clear outcomes including a real reduction in the planning restrictions; an increase in housing delivery in rural Ireland; a more practical, consistent and cost-efficient planning syst

Methods: EmailEvent / ReceptionMeetingSocial Media

Politician(s) lobbied: Darragh O'Brien (Minister), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Aine Doyle (Special Adviser), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

Intent: To discuss the rooftop solar grant.::To highlight that energy generation from solar fits well with energy generation from wind turbines in Ireland given that peak solar generation is in the summer months while wind energy generation is higher in winter months.::To highlight that, with this reality driving increased investment in solar energy generation, there is a need for delivery on the Programme for Government's commitment to develop planning guidelines for solar development in Ireland.::That roof-top solar is a cost-efficient method of generating low-emission energy within Ireland. Roof-top solar panels are now a common sight on many commercial buildings, and increasingly so on many farm buildings.::That roof top solar systems are cost efficient and allow farmers to invest in renewable energy that will typically have a payback period 4-7 years. They can also avail of grant funding through the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) and Accelerated Capital Allowances, wher

Methods: EmailEvent / ReceptionInformal communicationMeetingPhone callSocial Media

Politician(s) lobbied: Gerry Hagan (Councillor), Longford County Council; Kevin 'Boxer' Moran (Minister of State), Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Micheál Carrigy (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Nina Carberry (MEP), European Parliament; Simon Harris (Tánaiste and Minister), Department of Finance; Sorca Clarke (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: To highlight agriculture issues of concern to IFA members.::To speak to the Tánaiste about the Bord Bia dispute and how the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine did not address the cause and that the Ministers engagement with IFA must imrpve going forward and during Ireland's term as President of the EU Council of the European Union especially with the forthcoming CAP negotiations.::To discuss the forthcoming CAP Budget.::To highlight the ongoing flooding problems on the river Shannon.::To highlight Ash Dieback and the failure to put a roadside tree removal scheme in place.

Methods: EmailEvent / ReceptionInformal communicationSocial Media

Politician(s) lobbied: Peter Burke (Minister), Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Robert Troy (Minister of State), Department of Finance

Intent: To highlight that Irish tillage farmers are approaching critical planting decisions for winter cereals and oilseeds against a backdrop of weak grain prices and rising input costs. The Food Vision 2030 Tillage Group has set a target of expanding the tillage area to 400,000 hectares as part of Ireland's land-use diversification and climate objectives.::To emphasise that achieving the target of 400,000 hectares will become increasingly difficult without meaningful support for the tillage sector.

Methods: EmailInformal communicationMeetingSocial Media

Politician(s) lobbied: Sinead McPhillips (Secretary General), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Intent: To invite the Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food, & the Marine to engage with the IFA Committee Chairs.

Methods: EmailInformal communicationMeeting

Politician(s) lobbied: June Fanning (Chief Veterinary Officer), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Martin Heydon (Minister), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Sinead McPhillips (Secretary General), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; James Choiseul (Head of Agricultural Laboratories), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Intent: To raise with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine a recent high-profile incident, circulated in media and social media, that has been brought to IFA's attention by concerned farmers, of an enforcement action carried out by DAFM officials.::To highlight animals being euthanised on farm in unacceptable circumstances and IFA believe the circumstances are not consistent with the basic principles of animal welfare, required of responsible actors in carrying out this process.::That IFA fully understand the importance of facilitating the euthanasia of animals on farm to prevent further suffering of the animal, and in certain emergency circumstances, the euthanasia of numbers of animals, to prevent disease spread in very specific circumstances.::To stress that, in order to ensure the best practice when numbers of animals are to be euthanised, this should be carried out in specialist facilities.::To request a meeting with the Chief Veterinary Officer on this matter to discuss the D

Methods: EmailLetter

Politician(s) lobbied: Darragh O'Brien (Minister), Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Jack Chambers (Minister), Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Micheál Martin (An Taoiseach), Department of the Taoiseach; Neale Richmond (Minister of State), Department of Foreign Affairs; Noel Grealish (Minister of State), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Simon Harris (Tánaiste and Minister), Department of Finance; James Browne (Minister), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Intent: To accept an invitation from the Taoiseach to attend the NED 26 event.::To take part in discussions about building resilient public finances.::To take part in in discussions about maximising the impact of public spending.::To take park in discussions regarding decarbonisation, energy, agriculture and sustainability and transitioning to a lower carbon economy.

Methods: EmailInformal communicationMeetingSocial Media