Stephen Cadogan: All change since EIF funding started for IFA in Brussels

The livestock levy dates from the 1970s, introduced to help carry the cost of the IFA’s Brussels office, seen then as a vital lobby for the Irish agri-food industry, following our accession to the EEC.

Hence its name, the European Involvement Fund (EIF).

Since then, it evolved into a major source of revenue for IFA, with a small portion going to ICMSA.