Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a very serious and pertinent discussion for all of us. It is particularly serious for someone coming from my region. I am a native of, and live in, County Cavan. Food processing is a huge source of employment in Counties Cavan and Monaghan. Any job losses would have serious implications and the jobs would be difficult to replace. There is a double problem there. We would all aspire to maintaining the status quobut recent rhetoric would suggest that is not likely to be the outcome. The tariffs that Mr. Carroll mentioned would make small farms unviable and make Irish beef exports less competitive. Only factory producers could respond to that. The processing sector would then be threatened.

Are the witnesses optimistic that Ireland could have a North-South special trading arrangement and ideally one with the UK which would be important in the food sector? Are they advocating that and, if so, with what effect? Are they getting any traction on that? There is great optimism around free movement of people, but we are not sure there are similar grounds for optimism for the free movement of goods.

The sterling fluctuation is a very immediate and serious issue. It has already hit the mushroom sector in a big way. The witnesses say that the Government, or basically the taxpayer, will have to be fit to step in to defend the jobs there. As a local representative I would advocate that strongly. I hope it would be a viable option. It is better than trying to source new jobs in the area. Could they elaborate on the form that might take?

Senator Paul Daly mentions regularly the fact that so much food is perishable making new markets beyond the UK difficult but where it is possible how optimistic are the witnesses about other markets and are we going after them? Professor Boyle, the director of Teagasc, told us this morning that we would need much more investment in research and development and innovation to get movement in the market place. A big problem for many of the food processors in my area is that they source their product north of the Border and the live movement of pigs is particularly difficult. This is fraught with difficulty and it is a depressing landscape. I welcome the witnesses because it is important to have their input for our final report. I would be interested in hearing them elaborate on those matters and what hope, if any, they can offer regions such as ours.