Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Commissioner and I am glad we have had a robust discussion on many issues of concern to farming families. I welcome the fact that he strongly acknowledged in his presentation that incomes must be protected, particularly for those with small and medium-sized farms. There is a huge concern about suckler farmers. They are struggling on an average payment of €13,000 a year. Some of them can afford to diversify but many cannot and that is a serious problem. The Commissioner mentioned one intervention but this issue needs to be prioritised. Suckler farmers have become the poor relation in the agriculture industry and they need to be treated fairly. I welcome the huge campaign on the issue. Many farming organisations have come out strongly on it, on which I commend them. Hopefully, we can keep everything going in that regard.

The Mercosur deal is also a huge concern for farmers in Offaly and north Tipperary. They do not want it to proceed, as they want to protect their livelihoods and the farming community in general. They have a significant role to play in our exports and we do not need to jeopardise that.

With regard to young farmers, I welcome the reintroduction of agricultural apprenticeships, which was reported in the Irish Farmers Journalrecently. That will help matters. The Commissioner is strong on this issue and he has embraced the Macra na Feirme recommendations. The main issue for young farmers is income but it has always been an issue for farming families. The difficulty accessing credit and the burdensome nature of preparing for inspections as well as the fear of inspections are also deterrents for young farmers. Some went into farming reluctantly to keep their parents satisfied. They did not apply for schemes because of the fear of inspection. Inspections need to become more supportive. High standards and regulations are needed but they need to be more supportive and encouraging to attract young farmers. There is an interest among young people in agriculture, as indicated by the increase in the number of agriculture courses available through the Central Applications Office last year. They need more support and encouragement and I hope that can be done because we need to protect the future of Irish farming.