Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank both delegations for their presentations. I apologise for having to leave while the debate was ongoing.

I am sure we missed a good bit when we were out. It is crucial that we have something to support the suckler cow. I would support it all the way. It is very important that we keep the numbers there. After the very difficult winter and spring we had, we see the numbers dropping throughout the country. If they are not supported, it could go the same way as sheep have gone and numbers could fall to a level from which it may not be possible to recover. Farmers are not really looking that much at the economics of it. Mr. Bryan spoke earlier about the Cavan man and the Leitrim man and how the Leitrim man liked livestock farming. That is probably part of the problem. I have seen Leitrim farmers in difficult winters outside the marts buying bales of hay. Older farmers should be looking after themselves but they were still there buying bales of hay because they wanted to feed and look after the animals. It is built into them and unless things get very bad, they will not just walk away on economic grounds. If there is anything reasonable and any incentive there, they will stay with it.

There are two schemes that underpin them. The beef technology adoption programme, BTAP, helps younger farmers in particular - certainly farmers under 40. They are attending talks and classes, picking up a bit of information and using and breeding better quality bulls. If there was a suckler scheme there like the one we had before, it would be very positive for the entire industry because the quality would continue to be good. Likewise, many younger farmers have an interest in the sheep scheme. That is the way to go because we must incentivise them and keep them at it.