Mr Heydon, the minister for agriculture, food and the marine, highlighted pressure on EU budgets amid an increase in defence spending as he addressed food, agriculture and beverage sector leaders.

“Some countries are spending four, five, even six per cent of their national budgets on defence — they are determined that Europe spends more on defence, and that changes the conversation around every other priority,” he said.

In that context, he said the importance of CAP to the wider economy needs to be clearly understood.

“Seventy-five per cent of the money we get back from Europe comes through the Common Agricultural Policy,” the minister said.

“That matters for the whole country, not just the agriculture sector. We are net contributors to the EU, and the gap between what we pay in and what we get back is widening.”

Mr Heydon said Ireland would need to play a central role during its EU presidency.

“There is an expectation that Ireland will do a lot of the heavy lifting on CAP during the presidency,” he said. “We have experience, credibility and a strong civil service. That brings responsibility.”

He confirmed that CAP negotiations would follow a ‘twin track’ approach, combining work on the multiannual financial framework with detailed design of future CAP mechanisms.

“When I hold the chair during the presidency, a large part of our work will focus on how the CAP mechanism operates in practice,” he added.

The minister said future CAP design must prioritise simplification.

“I am absolutely determined to deliver simplification,” he said. “The least possible amount should go on bureaucracy and administration, and the most should go to the end user, the farmer.”

Legal speakers at the event covered a variety of topics relevant to the sector such as food regulation, intellectual property, supply chain disputes and employment legal trends.

Mason Hayes & Curran partners Jamie Gallagher and Hazel McDwyer are sector co-leads of the business law firm’s dedicated food, agriculture and beverage practice.

Reflecting on the discussion, Mr Gallagher said: “What came through clearly was the importance of a commitment to a deliberate and multi-layered approach to positioning our small open economy in the most effective way possible at both EU and global levels, and the impact that that work will have for agri-food companies in the years ahead.”

Ms McDwyer, who moderated the discussion, added: “The sector is operating in a period of sustained uncertainty, from regulatory change to market pressure. Minister Heydon’s remarks give businesses a clear view of the direction of travel and the practical work required in the period ahead.”

The discussion focused on how EU policy direction, regulatory change, and market pressures are converging for the food, agriculture and beverage sector ahead of Ireland’s EU Presidency.