Mr Phelan said farmers need clarity on what the proposed changes will mean for their payments. "Direct payments are a vital part of farm income. The move to a single funding structure raises questions about how direct payments and rural development supports will be protected. We also need to be clear that the funding set aside for CAP must be used to support farmers. The possibility of further funding through the wider national plan is not a substitute for a properly funded CAP, particularly when there is no guarantee that this additional money will go to agriculture. Farmers need to know that the money they depend on will still be there."

He said, "We are hearing about support for young farmers, environmental measures and help for farmers facing crises, but these commitments must be backed by funding. How can we expect young people to take up farming if the financial support that underpins farm incomes is being reduced? Generational renewal cannot happen without viable farm incomes."

Concluding, Mr Phelan said, "The overall EU budget for 2028 to 2034, including the final CAP allocation, is still to be agreed, and the Government must press for a better deal for Irish farmers. We cannot ask farmers to produce our food and meet new requirements while cutting the support they rely on. CAP has delivered real value for Europe. The current budget costs about 34 cent per EU citizen per day. For that small daily cost, we need a CAP that gives farmers the support they need to keep farming and allows the next generation to see a future in it."