Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 9 April 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Future of the Beef Sector in the Context of Food Wise 2025: Discussion (Resumed)

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

I thank Mr. Joyce. That concludes this part of the meeting. The witnesses have given this subject a very good airing. We have been discussing it for more than four hours and another delegation has yet to appear before the committee tonight. I thank the three farm groups, the IFA, the ICMSA and the INHFA, for their participation. Their delegates have given us much food for thought in the context of the discussion we will have next week and questions we will ask of the witnesses who will be appear before the committee next week. I am sure they may contradict some of the information that we will have heard here today but that is something we will have to evaluate in due course. We look forward to having a very detailed report containing a number of recommendations in the next month or six weeks. As I said, the report must be an honest assessment of where things are at. As Deputy Cahill, and to a less extent Deputy Eamon Ryan, said, there needs to be change but the change must occur in a structured way to ensure farm families have a sustainable livelihood for the future. Farming must be a viable proposition for the future. Farmers cannot exist if they are not making any money from their farms and that cannot continue into the future. With that in mind, I thank the delegates for their participation and we look forward to talking to them again in due course.

I propose that we suspend the sitting for ten minutes to allow the delegates from An Taisce to take their seats.

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