Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the officials. I apologise because I had to leave for a vote. I apologise if I am repeating anything discussed while I was away. I will catch up with the debate I missed by reading the transcript.

Deputy Cahill hit the nail on the head. It is very hard to add to or take from what he said. The report we got today is just paying lip service to the beef sector. It is basically a progress report on Food Wise 2025, which contains a financial export target. There are no volume growth targets. It is a swings and roundabouts approach. The target is to achieve exports of €19 billion and the authorities do not care how they reach it. According to this thinking, if we get €19 billion for eggs in 2025, so be it; we will have achieved our target. There is no consideration given to the various sectors within the agricultural fold. In that regard, the beef farmer is being thrown under the bus. I refer, in particular, to those whose land is only good for beef rearing or suckler herds. The option to diversify into the dairy sector is a non-runner. We have to be cognisant of that and take into consideration the livelihoods of those who, perhaps following two generations before them, have dedicated their entire farming lives to beef production. They are set up for beef farming, do not have the option to diversify and are constrained by the land they are farming. Despite this, the report is as good as saying we are on target, Brexit aside. We do not even need to mention Brexit here today because none of us knows what is going to happen. Even if Mr. David Cameron had not called the referendum, we would still be having this discussion today about the beef sector. It is on its knees and there are people walking away from it. Brexit will be the last straw or the last nail in the coffin if it goes wrong. If there were no Brexit, we would still be here today discussing the crisis in the beef sector.

When the target of €19 billion was set, what percentage of it related to the dairy sector and what percentage related to the beef sector? On the graph, how have those two lines crossed? What is the current percentage of beef by comparison with the overall figure? In the witnesses' opinion, what will the beef and dairy percentages be in 2025? If there is a hard Brexit, we will be throwing the figure of €19 billion in Food Wise 2025 out the window. It is a whole new ball game. If there is no Brexit, we can reach the €19 billion target but we will still lose our beef sector. The report states the Minister is actively pursuing a geographical indicator for Irish beef. That would be fine if we had recognition around the world but we do not have the beef.