Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise because I will have to leave to go to the Seanad. There is an important animal health and welfare and forestry Bill in the Seanad which is important and which relates to all of us here. I will ask two or three questions. I first thank all our guests for the comprehensive documentation they provided, which we have read and considered. They add a great amount of weight to the discussion and the experience and knowledge of our guests is always paramount in formulating legislation and advocating on behalf of the agricultural industry.

I have a question for Macra na Feirme. I always say it would be helpful if submissions were made by the number because we have to number them ourselves. Page 2 of Macra na Feirme’s submission refers to providing disinfecting footpaths and overalls for personnel visiting their holdings. I understand the significance of that but I am also conscious of a controversy that is regularly raised with me, namely, uninvited guests to agricultural holdings and those who sometimes assert that they have some sort of right of way. It is becoming common for agricultural land to be tied up along greenways. Even in Dublin, organisations are talking about keeping Ireland open. While I have no problem with, I am also conscious that farm owners have private property rights that must be vindicated, and these farmers must also be supported. That is another dynamic and challenge. It is an area that I ask the farm organisations to direct some attention to. I am always walking around the greenways and the countryside. There are issues with this in terms of a source of infection. It is an argument that the agricultural advocacy groups have not advanced enough. I would be interested to hear about that. I raise this issue because our guests from Macra na Feirme have raised it. Perhaps they will address that point.

Everyone has covered the issue of the challenges around deer, the role of deer in the spread of disease and the need for further research and innovation in this area. What do the witnesses mean by that? What quick and simple measures could or should we look at?

The ICSA and the IFA both raised the issue of mart boards, which I am familiar with. There is negativity around mart boards, which both groups mentioned in their submissions. There has been extensive coverage of this issue in the media. Farmers remain deeply dissatisfied with the way the Department has taken herd categorisation at marts upon itself and that is impacting negatively on prices. This has the potential to seriously compromise the prices at the marts such that cattle could not be at the mart in the first place. I would have thought cattle could not be at the mart if they are not clear of TB. Why are we talking about the integrity of the TB test system? It is ridiculous to suggest that about categorisation. There is an element of the flawed pedigree and lower price mechanism about this. I have an issue with that and many farmers have raised it with me as a concern. I have seen it at first-hand and it is always nice to go to marts. There is an issue there. I will leave it at that because that is one of the biggest recurring issues and it one I regularly hear about from farmers. The witnesses might comment on that. What can we do about that and what is the alternative? I see the flaws, the negativity and the impact on cattle prices in marts. Farmers either have a clear bill of health and are in the mart because it is legal, right and appropriate to be there or they do not have a clear bill of health. If not, what is the issue with the integrity of the system?