Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Following on from what Deputy D'Arcy has said, I refer to an issue I raised previously. We were told earlier that Bord Bia is to take on 20 additional staff. Are they to be paid out of this additional €2 million? With the challenges the beef and horticultural sectors are facing, this kind of an increase for Bord Bia is inadequate. I appreciate that some new markets for live exports opened up in the latter part of 2016, but we need to export far more animals than at present if we are to avoid a very serious situation. That is only dealing with the increase in cattle numbers we have and does not address the consequence of potential reduced access to the British market which would be a very steep hill to climb. If the €2 million is to pay for the additional 20 staff, it leaves very little money for new initiatives. Even without Brexit we need to develop new markets. We have heard a lot about the Egypt market reopening. We need a significant number of live cattle exports in 2017 if we are to avoid a serious situation at the end of this year.

I cannot understand why organic inspections are not included in the Bord Bia lamb quality-assurance inspections. Dairy farmers are now incorporated into the beef-inspection scheme. A dairy farmer with a beef operation will have both inspections on the one day. I do not understand why organic farmers are not included along with the quality-assurance inspection. It would make common sense. Obviously for farmers who are not organic they could just delete the item from the form. Organic farmers appeared before the committee and there were questions over whom they represented. Leaving that aside, we have an organic section in farming production. Bringing it under the auspices of the quality assurance would streamline it. I do not understand why organic inspections are not included in quality-assurance inspections.