The Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has said he is determined to fight to retain Ireland's share of Common Agricultural Policy funds.
Commenting on proposals from Brussels for reform of the CAP, Mr Coveney said there are some positives from an Irish perspective, but there were also aspects he is not happy with.
The Minister said he's concerned that the greening or environmental proposals, and basic payment structures, could lead to disruptive change in payments to Irish farmers.
He wants greater flexibility for member states to shape their own payment models. He said that 'greening' in itself was not a threat, and without excessive red tape, could support plans for growth in Irish agriculture.
Mr Coveney said the proposed redistribution of funds between Member States largely protect some aspects of Irish funding but a threat still hangs over our funding for rural development.
At a briefing in Dublin, a top Brussels-based official, Gerry Kiely, said the new proposals are 'as good as it gets.'
However, the Irish Farmers' Association has called on Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Mr Coveney to reject the proposed changes to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, which have been published.
IFA President John Bryan told RTÉ News that the CAP reforms would have "a devastating effect on Irish agriculture" because proposed changes to the Single Farm Payment could result in farmers loosing up to 50% of EU income.
He described plans to link 30% of payments to environmental farming as too complicated and too bureaucratic.
Mr Bryan said the document, which runs to around 1,000 pages, was very disappointing because the stated aim was to simplify the CAP but the outcome was the opposite.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos outlined what is contained in the revised CAP in Brussels this morning.
The current CAP runs out at the end of 2013 and the next policy will operate between 2014 and 2020.
Published EU budget plans have already shown the Commission aims to freeze CAP spending at 2013 levels up to 2020.
Statements from the Commission also indicate there will be a renewed focus on environmental farming and efficiencies.
Minister Coveney has said the upcoming negotiations are enormously important for Ireland.
CAP costs €55bn a year and takes up over 40% of the Commission's budget.
Irish farmers currently receive €1.3bn in direct payments from Brussels.
The proposal will first go to the European Parliament, which has equal power as the Commission on matters relating to CAP.
A final decision will be taken by heads of government, probably not until 2013.
Meanwhile, the President of Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Jackie Cahill, said that the EU's proposals to 'even-out' the farm payment rates between Member States poses a risk that Ireland may suffer a cut in the overall current envelope of funding available to Ireland and he urged to Minister Coveney to move immediately to forestall any such threat.
The leader of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) Gabriel Gilmartin, said that the proposals to move to a flat rate payment to farmers are too blunt and too simplistic.
The Macra na Feirme president Alan Jagoe said he was very supportive of the Commissions specific measures for young farmers and he looked forward to their further development and implementation.
