“Vital Opportunity to hear the views of Irish Citizens on a future CAP”
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, today announced his intention to launch a public consultation process on the future of the CAP post 2020. The consultation process will be open for an eight week period from Friday 26 January 2018 to Friday 23 March 2018. As part of this consultation process, Minister Creed intends to hold a series of six public meetings to consider the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. Minister for State Andrew Doyle TD and Minister Creed will between them attend and address all of the meetings.
The meetings will be an important part of the Department’s consultation process. Details of the public meetings are as follows:-
Date | Time | Location | Attended by |
Monday 5th February |
| Talbot Hotel, Portlaoise Road,
| Minister for State Andrew Doyle TD |
Monday 12th February |
| Charleville Park Hotel, Limerick Road, Rathgoggan North, Charleville, Co Cork | Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD |
Tuesday 13th February |
| Newgrange Hotel, Bridge Street, Navan, Co Meath | Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD |
Wednesday 14th February |
| Bush Hotel, Town Centre, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim | Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD |
Tuesday 20th February |
| Hodson Bay Hotel, Roscommon Road,
| Minister for State Andrew Doyle TD |
Wednesday 21st February |
| McWilliam Park Hotel, Kilcolman Road, Claremorris, Co Mayo. | Minister for State Andrew Doyle TD |
This consultation comes against the background of the launch of the European Commission’s Communication on the future of food and farming on 29 November 2017. With legislative proposals underpinning the future CAP expected in June 2018, Irish citizens will have an opportunity now to have an input.
Referring to the proposed consultation, the Minister commented:
“It is critically important that the CAP of the future serves all of the citizens of the EU. It must support family farms and underpin the production of food to the highest standards of quality and safety. It will also be required to contribute to development of rural areas, the creation of employment and critically, to make a real contribution to environmental sustainability.
I want to ensure that I have heard the views of Irish citizens before finalising an Irish position in the negotiations to come. These meetings will provide the public with an opportunity to have their voices heard in this critically important debate and will coincide with an invitation to make written submissions on the future of CAP. We are all interested stakeholders when it comes to our future food supply and the protection of our environment.”
Written submissions should be sent by email to cap_post2020@agriculture.gov.ie or by post to EU Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Floor 6 Centre, Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 marked “Submission on CAP post 2020”. The deadline for receipt of submissions is 23rd March 2018.
A consultation document and blank submission form will be available on the Department’s website [from the 26th January 2018] at the following address:-
https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmerschemespayments/
They will also be available on request from EU Division, telephone number 01 6072183 or email to cap_post2020@agriculture.gov.ie