Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Commissioner. On Brexit and the future of the EU, does he have any insights on whether the UK will change its mind on staying within the customs union or find some customs solution that will go a long way to mitigating the impact on the Border with Northern Ireland? How does he see Ireland's place in the future of the EU without the UK, and how much do we need to change our strategy?

The Commissioner knows there are serious concerns in Ireland about the future of the suckler herd. Simply put, it is not profitable at present for them to stay in business, given the current status of payments to suckler farmers. If we want to continue with a strong beef sector, we must have suckler farmers making a profit. At the moment, given what it costs to maintain a cow and keep it alive for 12 months, if all the farmer is gaining is the fact that cow will produce a calf, then the return versus the cost is not enough. This has been compounded by the weather, which the Commissioner acknowledged, although I will not blame him for the weather today. Having said that, there is a very serious situation for suckler farmers.

I look to the Commissioner for a comment and an assurance in regard to part-time farmers. He was a politician in Ireland for long enough to know the down-to-earth facts that young people growing up today - the sons and daughters of farmers - if they are to survive, in the majority of cases, will need to have some other type of employment. They will need to have some other type of job, be that a part-time job in conjunction with part-time farming, or a full-time job in conjunction with part-time farming. I hear a lot of what can be at times negative reporting by our media, and sometimes our media can be at sea when it comes to discussing agricultural matters because they are so far removed from reality that they would not realise the impact of what they are saying. I would like an assurance from the Commissioner in order to support people who are involved in farming on a part-time basis.

With regard to transport for fodder, systems were put in place which are finishing up over the coming days. We need the Commissioner to assist the Government and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to ensure that farmers will get assistance for the next couple of weeks. I could not finish without acknowledging the work that is being done by our farming organisations, such as the IFA, the ICMSA and all the other groups which have worked so diligently in trying to highlight the problems we have today with agriculture, in particular that since last July it has been torture to be involved in farming. It was a shame the Government woke up so late to the fact that we were in the middle of a crisis.