Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the two members of Macra na Feirme. There has been much comment in the committee, in particular earlier today, on the knowledge and the role of youth regarding this topic. The idea of Macra na Feirme's membership is the youth of a sector that is very heavily involved in it. It is a great advantage and very important to the committee that Macra na Feirme has come before it. It is said that the best wine is kept until last. The witnesses are the last contributors, and when we sit down to write a report, often what one hears last is what is most prominent in one's mind.

I have a few questions. Macra na Feirme is a national organisation representing the agriculture sector but more so the youth and the younger generations. Mr. Healy mentioned in his statement that we did not have an industrial revolution as such and that this perhaps exaggerates somewhat the percentage of agriculture's inputs to climate change. I have read and heard this in every contribution that has been made by a farming body to both this committee and the agriculture committee but I do not think I have ever heard it or witnessed it being highlighted outside of this forum, this bubble.

Are farmers, farming bodies and farmer organisations communicating well enough with society in general? I am not trying to portray a regime of making excuses, but I do not think the message, that is, the positives that have been done, is being communicated. Mr. Healy made the point that we did not have an industrial revolution and that our agricultural emissions will therefore always constitute a higher percentage. Other sectors point the finger at agriculture, and the agriculture sector then goes onto the back foot, into denial and into defence. Could a better communication system within the sector be a start - as I said, not an excuse or a get-out - to working our way towards achieving a solution collectively? With this in mind, Macra na Feirme represents the young, educated farmers. Within this education system and the achievement of the green cert, is the scientific backup efficient? Is there the knowledge within the agricultural education sector that needs to be passed on to young farmers when they receive their green certs when they are in that education system? Is the scientific know-how there afterwards, be it in an advisory capacity or whatever else? The solutions to these farming problems are through science. Is the know-how and the technical backup for Macra na Feirme's young members available?

Macra represents the entire country. Within discussions among its members, what kind of diversification is evident geographically? What is ahead of a farmer in the Golden Vale and what is ahead of a farmer in the north west, north midlands or west are different. They are two completely different planets, let alone two different sections of the country, and their problems and the potential solutions to those problems are miles apart. How are Macra na Feirme's members interacting in this regard? Is there unison or does the fellow in the north west, whenever forestry is mentioned, say he will not be the solution to the problems of the big dairy farmer in the Golden Vale? Mr. Healy knows where I am coming from.