Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegations from the different farm organisations and ICOS here today. This is an important meeting. I concur with the comments that the farming organisations and agriculture in general did not get a fair hearing in the Citizens' Assembly. I was one who asked Ms Justice Laffoy here last September the question Mr. Healy mentioned earlier, that is, if she had more time, would she have taken on board some of the comments the agriculture sector may have had. It is important that everybody is here today.

It is also important to point out the contribution the agriculture sector makes to the economy in Ireland. We saw this during the ten difficult years in this country. The value of agriculture exports have increased from €7.5 billion to €13 billion in the past year. It could be argued that had it not been for agriculture building the foundation at that time, the economy might not be as good as it is today.

Reference was made in two of the reports, those of the ICMSA and the IFA, to the carbon tax issue. Has an economic analysis has been done by the ICMSA on the potential implication of a carbon tax being imposed on agriculture?