Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I just want to have a brief discussion on upcoming meetings prior to Christmas. I remind members that the Select Committee on Agriculture and the Marine will meet on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Seanad Chamber to discuss a Supplementary Estimate. Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 8 December and we have invited the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association, INHFA, Bord Bia and the Irish Co-Operative Organisation Society, ICOS, to discuss the impact of Brexit. At our meeting on 15 December we will engage with the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, ICSA, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA, Dairy Industry Ireland, Meat Industry Ireland and the Irish Grain and Feed Association, IGFA, to discuss the same topic.

We have discussed swine fever previously and it is included on our work programme. I had a discussion this morning with two or three pig producers who are extremely worried about swine fever. It is in Germany at the moment and has prevented German pork products from being exported to China. This is having a seriously depressive impact on the market. Market conditions are one issue but another is the disease itself and the precautions the Department is taking to make sure that swine fever does not get into this country. In that context, I propose that we give a pig producer who has been corresponding with us ten to 15 minutes to outline the issues involved and the steps required to prevent this disease from entering the country. That will put us in a good position to ask questions of the Department about the precautions being taken. Is that agreed? Agreed. As the format for the next two meetings is agreed, that concludes our proceedings for today-----