Sir, – You report that MEPs Sean Kelly and Marian Harkin are concerned about possible erosion of support for the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) among the public ("Making the Cap figures public has always caused controversy", May 30th).
I believe that there needs to be a more direct dialogue between farmers and the wider public, and one that is not mediated through a misunderstanding that the subsidies for Irish farming come from “over there” rather than direct from other citizens.
In 2013 the Irish exchequer contributed €1.72 billion to the EU. Receipts from the EU were slightly greater than this figure. The bulk of money received was accounted for by two items – the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund at €1.23 billion and European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development at €250 million.
Viewed simply, money is transferred from all Irish taxpayers to Irish farmers via an EU carousel.
Farmers are largely a decent bunch of people who grow the food I eat, and deserve a viable income.
The case for supporting farmers is weakened, however, by practices such as building a concrete and barbed wire fence to block access via the shoreline to a beach, or demanding pay for access to a mountainside under the guise of running a private park.
There are differing views on these matters, of course. Let the dialogue develop. – Yours, etc,
DENIS HEALY,
Salthill, Galway.