Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to bring the discussion to a conclusion. It was Deputy Ferris who requested that we invite the witnesses to make a presentation before the committee. Another member asked where are we going with this to which I replied that we are not quite sure until we start to delve into it, which is probably dangerous. One of concerns following on from the report - or "white paper" as witnesses called it - we published was that there is so much unknown and so much that seems to be going on with regard to the milk market on the island. First, there was a concern as to whether there would be an all year round supply of fresh milk. That may have been an invalid argument or concern, but it was a concern. The second concern related to the producers of winter milk where the price being paid for manufactured milk was equal. Some farmers are set up for winter milk production and such production suits less grass intensive farmland and highland areas that have a colder climate. Notwithstanding Deputy Deering's good farm in Carlow, the perception is that a significant number of fresh milk producers have that type of farm set up. There was a concern about the dairy herd size in that the only way farmers have been able to compete has been to consolidate and have bigger operations to achieve efficiencies in production but that does not suit all farmers because of a milking platform and so on. That is where we started off.

The witnesses put up a robust case here today and I would say everybody would agree with it. We will facilitate others, in the way we have facilitated the witnesses, to come before the committee, and the witnesses are welcome to attend the committee again as visitors or watch the proceedings on the lifestream or after the meeting. There will be people who will have a counter argument. The committee will then decide what we want to do in terms of our consideration of this issue but that will be a matter for another day rather than today.

This has been a useful discussion. It is only fair that this committee, as a forum for public discussion, would allow people to give their point of view and it is up to others to make a counter argument if they so wish. I note Deputy Ferris wishes to make a brief comment before I conclude.