EU Meetings
Dail Éireann — 2025-10-14
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Martin Heydon (FG), Kildare South

In my first nine months in the job, I hope I have demonstrated that I have good, sharp elbows. In my recent budget negotiations, I secured a 9% increase on the Department of agriculture's overall allocation, whereas the summer economic statement indicated that the overall increase in Government spending would be only 6%. I think the Department has received the second largest percentage increase in current allocations compared with last year's budget. I have, therefore, demonstrated an ability to put forward a credible plan, look for money and get it for the right reasons. That is possible when you have a clear plan, as I have around bovine TB, supporting the tillage scheme, generational renewal and the need to support our ACRES farmers and others who have also been through a rough time.
Similarly, at this point, my focus here is on fighting for more money in Europe. I will have sharp elbows there if we are fighting to get money out of a national pot, but we do not want to be in that space. Ireland is a net contributor to the overall EU budget and 75% of the receipts we get back from Europe have come through the CAP. If we lose that and if there is a reduction in what we get back from the CAP, there will be a reduction for the Exchequer overall and the taxpayer will lose because we will get less money coming back in. I am not willing to leave that money behind me. Ireland will have the Presidency of the EU from next July and, God willing, if I am still there, my role as president of the AGRIFISH Council will give us a great opportunity to build alliances with our European partners and to fight for more money at a European level for the Common Agricultural Policy.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-10-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-10-14