Mr. Philip Carroll:

I thank the committee for the invitation to speak on climate change and giving Meat Industry Ireland the opportunity to address members this afternoon and to have an exchange of views. As the Chairman has said, I am accompanied by Mr. Cormac Healy, senior director of Meat Industry Ireland, MII. The committee has already received a detailed submission from MII setting out our thoughts on climate change in the context of our agriculture sector but also highlighting the significant contribution that the meat industry makes to the Irish economy and to the rural economy in particular, as well as the opportunities for growth in meat exports that we believe can be achieved in a sustainable manner as part of the wider agrifood targets and objectives set out in Food Wise 2025.

MII is the business association in IBEC that represents the meat processing sector. The meat sector, which includes beef, pigmeat, sheepmeat and poultry from farm through to processing and export is one of the most important indigenous industries in the national economy. In 2017, it generated €3.95 billion in exports and it provides direct employment to approximately 15,000 people, as well as indirect jobs in associated service industries. In particular, the sector supports more than 120,000 farmers throughout Ireland. It has a major impact on regional economy spend and rural economic activity. In many of the rural areas where processing facilities operate, the meat plant is often the largest local employer. Rural towns such as Bunclody, Edenderry, Bandon, Athleague or Shercock, among many others, do not benefit significantly from foreign direct investment and therefore are heavily dependent on these meat processing facilities and the employment and services demand generated by them.

Meat production and processing has a long tradition in Ireland and it is the most important indigenous sector when account is taken not only of output value but also of its regional spread, as well as the number of farmers involved in livestock rearing for meat production. The sector has made significant progress towards achieving Harvest 2020 goals and the potential exists to further scale up the industry to generate increased exports, rural economic activity and job creation in the regions in the coming years. Export values have grown by 60% over the past five years and Irish meat is exported to more than 50 countries worldwide. Under Food Wise 2025, the meat sector has ambitious plans to sustainably grow annual exports by an additional €1 billion.