Mr. Joe Healy:

Most of the questions have been alluded to at this stage. Deputy Willie Penrose said there would be consequences. We have already seen consequences in the beef and mushroom sectors. A number of good mushroom growers have gone to the wall. As I said the last time I appeared before the joint committee, a base price of €3.60 or €3.65 for steers will have consequences. Lower prices also have indirect consequences along the line.

The Food Wise 2025 strategy was mentioned by a number of those who asked questions. Representatives of all the farming organisations are due to meet officials from the Food Wise 2025 review group which is chaired by Mr. Michael Dowling tomorrow morning. I have no doubt that strategies such as Food Wise 2025 and the plans of individual farms for the future need to be revisited following the result of the Brexit referendum. The ideas and plans that were being considered before the referendum need to be reconsidered in the different circumstances that now obtain, as will be highlighted tomorrow morning.

Deputy Willie Penrose spoke about whether this would happen over a timespan of two, three, four or five years. Some believe there will be an election in the meantime. That might happen. I set out our preference for what will happen. The uncertainty that will persist in the meantime will lead to exchange rate fluctuations. As Mr. Jim Power mentioned, since 23 June last the value of €1 increased from 76p to 89p or 90p sterling before dropping to approximately 84p. Such fluctuations are having a real impact.

Reference has been made to added-value food products. In the past 20 years value has been added to much of what we export. That must continue. When the US market opened, the IFA, the Government, the Minister and Bord Bia pushed very hard for the branding of Irish food. It was disappointing that this did not happen, but I do not think there was anything more the organisation could have done. It is a pity that the idea we were pushing did not gain traction. As someone said earlier, our image is a strong marketing point. Bord Bia is trying to push it as part of its Origin Green campaign.

A few questions were asked about the work being done in Brussels through COPA, etc. We have met other farm organisations, including French organisations, through COPA. Like Ireland, France exports agrifood products worth between €4.5 billion and €5 billion to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is not as great a priority for France as it is for Ireland because the percentage of French agrifood exports to the United Kingdom is a long way short of the level of 40% or 41% here. A similar point can be made about other European countries. The United Kingdom is not nearly as important a priority for other farming organisations around Europe as it is for the IFA. The Commission's civil dialogue groups refuse to discuss the issue when it is raised. I do not think they will be allowed to do so until Article 50 has been triggered.

I mentioned in my initial contribution that the adequate funding of the Common Agricultural Policy was a priority the last time and will be this time. If the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, the vacuum it will leave as a net contributor will have to be filled. The dairy sector was mentioned in this context because 60% of the cheese we produce goes to the United Kingdom. I mentioned the tariffs on dairy and beef products. We will take a big hit in that regard. As Mr. Comer said, we have to be able to defend the CAP budget. In the 1960s approximately 30% of household income was spent on food. The Common Agricultural Policy was introduced to ensure safe and traceable food could be purchased at an affordable price. Just 15% of household income is now spent on food.

Deputy Jackie Cahill rightly mentioned that there was no sympathy. We have met politicians and ambassadors from a number of EU member states. They are all the same, although one particular group stands out. The politicians from France told us that as far as they were concerned, there must be a hard Brexit to send a message to any other country that might be thinking along these lines.