Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Commissioner, who brings a wealth of experience to his role. He touched on the conference that was held in Cork three weeks ago, which I was privileged to attend along with the Commissioner, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, and Irish MEPs, Deirdre Clune and Seán Kelly. It was a very important conference and what came out of it needs to be progressed. Bringing the proposals forward will be the key issue. The ten point plan and the other recommendations are key for rural communities across the EU and will enable the EU to engage effectively with those communities again. The work programme from that conference is a key issue.

The Commissioner referred to commodity prices and the situation today. However, he did not make any reference to grain prices and the cereal industry. That industry, in Ireland in particular, has taken a battering. Weather has been a major issue, as has pricing and questions now arise about the sustainability of the Irish grain industry. Unfortunately, grain farmers have had four terrible years and the outlook for next year is not good either. The grain industry is at the cliff edge in terms of its future sustainability. I ask the Commissioner to give his views on this matter.