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In our audit of the Midlands North West European election candidates, we asked candidates to answer questions on nine of the most pressing issues facing Ireland and Europe in the coming years.
Anne Rabbitte
What I’ve been repeatedly told by farmers across the Midlands-North-West is that they feel their voices are going unheard, particularly those of young farmers.
As things stand, CAP is not fit for purpose particularly with regard to young farmers. The post-2020 phase of CAP, which the next European Parliament will shape, needs to be modernised in a way that reflects the reality of the challenges on the ground.
Numerous young farmers across the constituency have told me how they face a very uncertain future and are fearful their voices are going unheard. Action needs to be taken now to protect their futures or numerous farms across the county will lay unused as it won’t be worth the time or expense. It’s another example of rural Ireland being abandoned.
Fianna Fáil has, since 2017, called for the current Basic Payment Scheme ceiling of €150,000 to be reduced to €60,000 in Ireland. Such a move would undoubtedly safeguard farm families on low incomes.
The current direct income system is inefficient and makes it very difficult for young farmers starting out. CAP post-2020 needs to be fair to all farmers and create a level playing field. It’s from this point of view that I will be arguing if elected an MEP as I feel it’s often overlooked and it’s to the detriment of rural Ireland.
It’s clear too that from the growth of groups like the Beef Plan Movement, that an increasing number of farmers feel they’re not being given a fair deal when it comes to the sale of their produce.
Farmers across feel their livelihoods are at risk and that nobody is there to protect them. All these farmers are looking for is to ensure that they have a fair standard of living and this can be easily achieved through policy initiatives at EU level ensuring fair trading prices. It’s important farmers see that their work is worthwhile and they’re not being undercut or undersold while others unfairly prosper.
Brendan Smith
The Common Agriculture Policy needs to be reformed and simplified and the provision of adequate funding is absolutely essential.
The aims and goals of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must be protected. My job if elected will be to make sure there are no further cuts to CAP as thousands of farm families need that critical support for income. Ireland’s interests must also be protected in any reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
Expanded fishing opportunities must be achieved and maximum sustainable quotas secured for the Irish fishing industry.
Policies must be adapted in the context of climate change and increased competition for both sectors.
Patrick Greene
This is one of the most complex set of international arrangements ever devised, and one of the most divisive. I trained as an industrial engineer and they are tasked with looking for the most efficient method of production to ensure that a company stays operational and profitable. When going into a production facility the people on the factory floor are those with the best answers to the problems within the facility.
In the farming sector, I would consult the people on the floor, or should I say on the ground, by holding plebiscites and referenda. Presently plebiscites and/or referenda are not legally binding on MEPs but I state that I will follow through on the wishes of the farmers, this is to say that in the EU parliament chamber I will vote in accordance with their direct input to a safe electronic voting system that we in Direct Democracy Ireland (DDI) and others are collaborating on.
This system is not only for Irish farmers, it is for all the people of Ireland. The various farming organisations will be given access to this system to conduct plebiscites and referenda.
Plebiscites are not referenda, a plebiscite is where I ask questions to farmers and they pick an option that I present to them, citizen initiated referenda, or direct democracy, on the other hand is where the farmers decide the issue and the strategy, their directions/ orders are then given to me as a representative to argue in the EU parliament. I as an MEP should be and will be a messenger and a negotiator for Irish farmers, not a page boy for the EU.
Maria Walsh
A fair income for farmers should be at the heart of the new CAP. A CAP less focused on rules, will reduce the administrative burden for farmers and allow them to focus on farming, rather than being hindered by red tape and bureaucracy. The needs of farmers in the West and North West are very different to those in other parts or Ireland, as well as other member states and it is very important that they are recognised by the Commission and fully supported.
Future direct payments will be linked to environmental commitments. Mu main priorities in Cap are to secure a budget, ensure young farmers are given the resources and supported to make living off the land viable, with a special focus on female farmers.
Fidelma Healy Eames
More funding needed for a reformed CAP, less intensive agriculture practices and more environmental schemes.
Matt Carthy
Sinn Féin wants to see the Common Agricultural Policy reformed to deliver not only affordable food prices for citizens, but a reasonable standard of living for our farmers. We feel that the current system of payment is unjust and is not fit for purpose.
I believe a converging of payments per hectare, a front loaded payment and an upper limit on direct payments of €60,000 would ensure the survival of our small to medium farmers. This is crucial for the sustainability of our family farm model and to keep rural communities, that depend on the economic activity stimulated by farmers, alive.
Mairead McGuinness
I would make sure that the limitations of the natural environment are addressed as part of the advice to farmers about their production systems, rather than specific schemes for environmental delivery – in other words, a more holistic approach to food production.&
That may come in time – for now, we are refocusing payments on environmental delivery, but we must make sure that payments do not encourage farmers to rip out existing habitats to plant new habitats just to get payments. This has happened in the past.
We need member states, especially Ireland, to draw up an overall land-use policy including livestock, crops, horticulture and forestry.
The current reforms give member states an opportunity to draft such a policy in their CAP Strategic Plans.
The absence of an overall land-use policy has brought about sectoral issues (between beef, dairy, tillage, horticulture, forestry, bio-energy and renewable production) and division between regions and enterprises. A land-use policy could help ease divisions within the farming community on payments, while also addressing sustainability issues, both environmental and economic.
Cyril Brennan
The agricultural policy is currently being upgraded, I support a move to increase payments for small to medium farmers who are struggling with velocity in the markets.
Michael O’Dowd
Put a cap on CAP so that the main beneficiaries are family farms and not the likes of Duke of Edinburgh and billionaire James Dyson.
Saoirse McHugh
I would see a land observatory introduced to monitor land markets and encourage intervention to halt and reverse the trend of land consolidation we are witnessing all over europe. 50% of the budget should be ring fenced for eco schemes as the new CAP needs to reflect the urgency of biodiversity loss and climate breakdown.
It is necessary to see a common food policy introduced to align all the policy areas that affect our food system including CAP, trade, retail, environment, health and safety and human health. We must move the focus away from commodity export and back to food, the environment, and farmers. I do not think that the CAP has the necessary tools to address every problem in our food system, it is after all, an agricultural production policy.
Peter Casey
Ireland’s agri-food sector is our largest indigenous industry and needs to be protected. In 2018 average farm incomes declined by 15%. Our farmers face many difficulties and are only subsisting. Figures suggest the average farmer receives about €18,000 a year in EU subsidies, yet some can receive up to €80,000. That can’t be right. I will fight to ensure more equity in the EU’s CAP payments policy. Our farmers need a fair deal.
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Nothing but a money making scheme, how many accidents have been on this stretch of road? Soon these ‘safety’ cameras will be generating millions, at the expense of the motorist, on every motorway in Ireland.
@Hugh Fogerty: not really. They work really well in the UK. 120kmph is more than enough for anyone to be doing on any road in Ireland. If you know you will end up with points and a fine you just won’t speed! Simple.
@Hugh Fogerty: If people stick to the limit, they won’t get fined. It’s that simple.
@Hugh Fogerty: Very easy way to throw a spanner in the works of this money making scheme.
@Hugh Fogerty: you probably think taxation is theft too, yeah?
@Hugh Fogerty: If you’re thick enough to get penalty points on this stretch of motorway, and it’s very clearly indicated that it’s an average-speed zone, then you deserve to be fined and get penalty points.
@Hugh Fogerty: you don’t have much faith in the intelligence levels of Irish motorists do you? Only way this will generate money is if people speed.
@Hugh Fogerty: why would you need to go any faster than the speed limit? Standard of driving in this country is appalling.
@Edward Reid: vast majority of motorways in Europe are 130km/h… 120 would be low compared
@Hugh Fogerty: only the BMW and Mercedes drivers need worry.
@Hugh Fogerty: Quite a lot actually it is a spot that, quite a lot of rain water stays on because it was built on a bog and has been a lot of accidents with aquaplaning.
@Paul Furey: You can add Audi to that list as well.
@Brendan Nolan: quite a lot is an interesting quantum, not sure if I said not very much would that be as big a number? Without actual figures it’s all conjecture. I’ve never seen an accident on that stretch of road.
@Brendan Nolan: so what you are saying is that stretch of road was badly engineered?
@Saigionsive: taxation is theft when it’s not used for what it was intended.
@Hugh Fogerty: every day there are accidents on these roads. I don’t think speed is the problem though so this figure won’t change.
If compliance was below 70% on a road, would one not think to assess if the 120kph limit was still correct? Maybe that was a sign 130kph or higher would be suited.
* fixed comment – give me edit!
@Richard: I’m not sure. If you give more people end up taking more. They would push to 140/150 if the legal limit was 130. I think the majority of people stick to 120 as it is, only some people think they should be allowed to do as they wish whether or not it puts anyone else in danger or not. I’m all for each to their own but if you cause an accident just because your a macho man showing of or whatever the reason and it killed my family or kids it changes the situation. Slow down, enough families have suffered already.
@Richard: We need to start reducing speed limits.
Fuel consumption at 130 km/HR would be much higher than say 100km/HR..
Electric cars are not suited to high speed as they have huge battery consumption above 100 km/ HR.
@Roger Bond: that should be a person own personal choice and use of money to spend it burning fuel or reducing their electric range. 130km in most European countries as the norm on motorways
@Richard: What’s the point? Driving at 130kph instead of 120 saves you about 24 seconds on a 10km journey. Are we really in that much of a hurry that it’s worth the increased danger and fuel consumption? If we say Limerick to Dublin is about 200km which is a long journey in Ireland, that’s just 8 mins knocked off the entire journey! And that’s assuming a direct motorway with no slow-downs or stops. Each increase above that gives you less and less saving on time.
@Roger Bond: that’s why you should not buy toy cars.
Another nanny state intervention. “if you get to the next camera too quickly you will be flagged on our server.” How about people just follow the safety rules? Seems that the government has taken over the church for “rule following” and being forced into submission.
How about free will, trusting people to do the right thing and give them a ticket if they are caught speeding by a Garda officer?
@Seeking Truth: its more simple than this tbh.
It was simply put in to make money.
None of them gives a flying f… about people.
@John Johnes: Seems to be a way to let people decide if they want to throw money away. The average speed zone will be well flagged on approach.
@Seeking Truth: the issue with that is that not every person speeding is caught by a speed camera van, as there simply aren’t enough of them in place at each location. I think this new system will be a positive one in that it still gives people the option to speed, or not, while guaranteeing that they are caught if they do. Their choice, with consequences for the wrong one.
@Seeking Truth: so if you think this is a nanny state should we drop health and safety in the workplace and let the ordinary worker set the the standards or have none and more deaths. Should we not have regulations for electrical devices and import potential fire hazards from every country in a race to the bottom.
@Seeking Truth: Because, left to their own ‘free will’, a lot of people behave badly.
@Seeking Truth: we’ll they have being allowing people the choice till this morning, the result has been 6 deaths and 54 serious accidents on this particular stretch of road so if given some people haven’t kept to the speed limit they have opted to enforce the speed limit. I don’t understand the issue here, what is the issue with keeping to the 120 limit? Are you so important and or in such a rush that speed limits don’t apply to you?
@Peter: is that in the past week? That’s quite a lot tbf.
Do you have a source for those numbers? We’re they in dry conditions or other conditions?
Personally I think the speed limit should be variable, higher in dry weather and low traffic volumes, lower in bad weather and or high traffic volumes. We have regional roads that used to be safe for 60mph with older less safe cars yet we are now told we have to drive 80kph on them now. Its not about safety it’s about revenue generation.
As cars are being made safer and faster we’re lowering limits, doesn’t make sense, speed limit should be raised to 140 on major motorways in the right hand lane anyway
@pkunzip doom2.zip: at 110 KPH versus 120 KPH I get an extra 10% more kilometers from my tank of diesel. That saves around 11.00 euro per fill.
@pkunzip doom2.zip: if I set my speed limiter to 110 KPH versus 120 KPH I get an extra 10% distance. At current diesel prices that is a saving of €11.00 per fill.
@Rudy de Groot: that’s great for you, well done. When I drive my leaf at 115km I get 250km from a €6.40 charge but when I want to overtake some dckhead in a leaf doing 115km and I’m in my Golf I don’t want to 3 points for driving safely, well within the car and drivers capabilities
@Rudy de Groot: you’d get even more out of your tank if you drove at 80kph
@Anthony Guinnessy: not everyone is concerned about their mileage as you seem to be, if you drive at 80km/h on a motorway you deserve a fine for dangerous driving
Can these camera be used to catch drivers that do not Indicate when overtaking and undertaking ??
@lorcmulv: the answer is in their name!
@lorcmulv: and the roundabouts. In a normal world – whoever does not use their indicators are being fined.
If compliance was below 70% on a road, would one. It think you assess if the 120kph limit was still correct? Maybe that was a sign 130kph or higher would be suited.
just as well my old van wont go over 120km
It’s about time these got rolled out, they need to be put on every stretch of motorway in the country along with variable speed limits. Both have been proven to work for reducing accidents and deaths and traffic flow. If people are driving as per the rules of the road then they have nothing to worry about. For those saying it’s a money making racket I would say they are the very people that are being targeted, not to make money from them but to change the way they drive so they are complying with the posted speed limits.
@Peter: why then are most motorway speed limits higher in Europe? Ever heard of the auto bahn? “Measurements from the German state of Brandenburg in 2006 showed average speeds of 142 km/h (88 mph) on a 6-lane section of autobahn in free-flowing conditions.[3]”
^^ thats a proper road network and just as safe as ours.
I find if I put my speed limiter to 110 KPH I get an extra 10% from my tank of diesel. Considering the cost of fuel it makes sense to reduce speed and save money (and be kinder to the environment too)
@Rudy de Groot: I’d say you’ll find if you put your speed limiter to 80kph you’ll save even more. What’s your point?
Have we invested anything in preventing drivers from travelling in the wrong direction on this motorway?
Ireland catching up with the rest of Europe.
@FliepFlap: Ireland falling further behind the rest of Europe. Safer cars, better roads should mean higher speed limits.
Drove it this morning, main issue was drivers in the overtaking lane doing 120, makes it difficult when you come up behind a slow vehicle and cant pass for the queue of cars cruising in the overtaking lane.
Then once past the second camera off they are like rockets…
If there was a bit of dirt causing the number plate reader to record an 8 or 9 out of a 3 or perhaps a 7 out of a 1 there will be no actual photo of the car showing the make, model and colour of the vehicle so you could not dispute the alleged offence. Normally you are innocent until proven guilty. With this system you are guilty…full stop.
Good grief, the amount of whinging here on this Monday morning. Don’t speed! I do a lot of motorway driving and get over 200km extra on a full tank by driving 95-100kmh on the motorways. It means an extra 10 to 15 mins on a drive from Dublin to Kilkenny but its worth it.
@Paul Furey: no its not, an extra 16 minutes a day each way would be 24hrs extra a year (conservatively). That’s 3 working days you’re giving up per year. Over a lifetime you are losing 147 working days.
@Anthony Guinnessy: what a waste of sums. Leave earlier.
We know where they are hit cruise control at 118 kmph then away u go
@James Johnson: all cars are 4-5km overstated so 124 and you’d be doing 120
Be warned if passing these at night they shine a light across the motorway that’s absolutely blinding
Years and years behind…
It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s too little too late considering these have been around for years in other countries. Motorways are built for speed. How many deaths actually occur on them? Meanwhile the technology exists to measure your speed wherever you go! Most runners have watches that give all sorts of statistics about your run. Put one of these on every car that reports safe driving back to a central server. Compliant people get a discount on their car insurance. The discount is paid for by the reduction in claims this will no doubt bring about. If you frame it as a bonus for being safe rather than a fine for speeding you’ll get much better buy-in.
What about teleportation.?
Why must everyone else slow down just because of a minority of people who can’t drive properly?
I’m sure they’ll be really useful on the M50.
What happens if you drive too slow, surely the concertina effect is equally the same as too fast but slightly more dangerous e.g overtaking.
have your say