Cavan-Monaghan TD Cathy Bennet, has described proposals to merge the existing two Pillars of CAP with the overall EU budget as 'tantamount to a betrayal of farmers'.
Her comments came following the leaking of an internal EU document which proposed ending the current funding model.
Deputy Bennett says this leaked document id of great concern to farmers right across the EU, including Irish family farms.
The CAP budget has been in place for over 60 years and Irish family farms have been receiving support from CAP for over 50 years.
The Sinn Fein TD has called on the Minister for Agriculture and government to oppose this proposal and fight to keep the current two pillar CAP budget model.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Deputy Bennett said: "CAP was established in 1962 to support farm incomes, ensure food security, and promote rural development in the EU - at that time it comprised nearly 75% of the EU budget, but has unfortunately been worn away by successive European Commissions, with the permission of the Irish government.
"This proposal to merge CAP with other cohesion funding is, I believe, a threat to food security in the EU and to Irish farming. While this will have the biggest impact on the farming community it will also impact on the wider rural community. We need to be clear - the CAP could be better managed both at a European and Irish government level.
"But we need to have a ringfenced budget for agriculture with a guaranteed income stream for farmers, or else we will see our small family farms being pushed out of business and increases in the cost of food for consumers. We need to finally recognise what CAP in reality is, which is not a subsidy for famers, but rather payment for a service to farmers.
"Far too often the CAP is seen as a soft touch to be cut in order to redirect funding to another area the European Commission has chosen to prioritise on a whim - this proposal would only make it easier for them to do so again in the years ahead."
