Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I apologise to the committee and delegation for arriving late. I had a family event today I could not avoid. I am glad to be here to welcome the delegation. We need to work together because the farming community is at a crossroads.

The biggest issue we must face, fight or get around is Brexit. If farmers make a bit of money, they are the best community to spend money. If the farming community is not doing well, the country does not do well. It is time the people up here in Dublin and in urban areas begin to realise this because if the farmers do not do well, the rest of the country will not do well either. When I say farmers put back everything, I mean they put back every bob they make into the farm when they have a few pounds to spend. A few years ago, a farmer won the lotto and when he was asked what he would do with his winnings, he said he would stay farming. Where the farmer said that can be traced back because it is the truth. Whatever they have they spend on their land. They are criticised at times for breaking environmental rules by these environmentalists, but some of those fellows do not know what they are talking about. They can spread slurry fine these days as the land is dry and it can be done, but a few weeks ago they could not do it because places were saturated. They are beginning to dry slowly now. The farmers know and will always treat their land well because it was handed down to them or they had to pay a high cost to buy it.

Prices for produce is the biggest issue. There is very little mention of beef farmers but they are under severe pressure. When they receive only €3.60 per kilo in the factories for beef how will they survive? It costs them more to produce than they get for the produce when they sell it. What needs to be dealt with is the monopoly of the factories. I make no bones about it. There is a rule that people are fined €70 or €90 for going over four movements when the animal is hanging up. I ask each and every person here what difference does it make, and how will someone know how many times a carcass has moved by looking at it or cutting it up? It is a penal law imposed by the factories. I ask that we all work together to ensure this ridiculous law is removed. Last week, I took ten heifers to the mart but did not sell them. I would not sell them for what I was getting for them and I brought them home. This is classed as a movement. It is totally unfair and must be addressed. There will have to be an almighty attack launched on the factories to get rid of this rule.

Milk farmers are under serious threat and I make no bones about it. The previous Government advised farmers there was a market for milk and to increase production. They went at it hell for leather and spent €200,000, €300,000, €500,000 or €1 million on set-ups and are now on the rails. What can we do to help them? Something will have to be done.