Time for a cap on further EU restrictions on farm families

IFA and Irish farmers have been pro-European since our entry to the EEC in 1973, and rightly so. We value being part of the best market in the world for food, and the opportunities the free movement of goods and services presents for our families and country.

The CAP has been central to the development of our modern, farm-family based agricultural sector. The €1.5bn per year secured in CAP until 2020 is vital to underpin farm incomes and our plans for growth.

However, the outcome of the European elections in Ireland has to lead to a fundamental re-think by European institutions and public servants about how Europe works for people. This has to include the negative impact of interference in people’s lives and businesses through EU regulation, which is often unnecessary, impractical and unreasonable.