The European Parliament's lead negotiator on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Norbert Lins will visit Ireland this week.

The German MEP, who is a member of the European People's Party (EPP), is being hosted on the visit by his party colleague and Midlands–North-West MEP, Maria Walsh.

The pair will visit University College Dublin (UCD) Lyons Farm in Co. Kildare on Thursday (April 9).

The MEPs will meet key stakeholders from across the agricultural sector to discuss generational renewal, young farmers and the long-term sustainability of Irish farming.

Commenting ahead of the visit, MEP Maria Walsh, a full member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, said:

"Hosting my EPP colleague MEP Norbert Lins is an important opportunity to bring the realities facing Irish farmers into the heart of EU decision-making.

"My focus is on ensuring that MEP Lins hears directly from young Irish farmers to inform his work in Brussels.

"The visit will include engagement with young farmers, academics and leading agricultural stakeholders. Young farmers and generational renewal will be at the heart of MEP Lins’ time at UCD Lyons Farm, Co Kildare," she said.

CAP

Walsh, who is the lead negotiator on generational renewal, said that her focus is clear.

"We need a CAP that genuinely helps young farmers, supports farm families, and reflects the reality of farming life in Ireland today.

"If we don’t make farming a viable and attractive option for young people, we risk losing the backbone of rural Ireland.

"That has to change - and that’s where CAP reform has to step up," she said.

Walsh said bringing the parliament's lead CAP negotiator to Ireland is about "making sure those real experiences are heard at EU level".

"If we get generational renewal right, we’re not just supporting farmers - we’re securing the future of our farming sector and rural communities right across Ireland," she added.