Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. I am sure the Minister has looked at average incomes across the country. For a number of the last few years, the average farm income in the BMW region has been approximately the same as the level of the single farm payment. The position is slightly different on the east coast, where single farm payments account for approximately 60% of the net incomes of farmers.

For the BMW region, which is key in the production of suckler cattle, this means that for all the enterprise shown by farmers who work every hour that God sends them, they are not making money on the cattle. Their net income is the cheque in the post. This is not sustainable indefinitely. The laws and logic will apply to that situation as they do across the rest of life. Unless there is a profit to be made in producing, production will not be at the level it should be. This is why I emphasise the importance of ensuring active farming pays and there is a reasonable price for beef.

Deputy Ó Cuív's proposal on introducing a beef regulator makes a great deal of sense. It may not be a panacea but it can make a real contribution by bringing more clarity to the beef market and ensuring the sector is fair to farmers instead of dominated by processors and large supermarket chains, as has been the case in recent years. I also endorse Deputy Ó Cuív's proposal on a €200 upfront genomics payment next year, given the importance to farmers of the single farm payment. With the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, and the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, running out for many farmers next year and the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, not likely to kick in until much later in the year, the single farm payment-----

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