Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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The advent of mega-cities is causing a migration problem - for example, in Dublin. I am from Mayo where, like Donegal and Sligo, the statistics show migration of people to the cities. In developed countries where the concept of the family farm has been lost, there are ranches and loss of population. In developing countries there is no regard for the farmer. I know there are issues for the farmer as producer, the price he gets in the food supply chain and the problems we have here. Much of the money given out in direct payments does not satisfy people. It just keeps them ticking along. We need to consider, in the larger global context, how to have viable communities in rural areas because people in such areas do not really want handouts. We always suffer from the problem of critical mass and it becomes part of a vicious circle. We lose more people and then we must ask whether it is worth investing in areas such as those to which I refer. There are many opportunities but support is required or else we will continue giving crumbs to farmers.

I am also concerned about rural development. As a country that has strong rural traditions, we could develop some formula that could be applied elsewhere because the massive loss to rural areas is a worldwide issue. Do we value them? People cannot live on fresh air and the CAP is intended to secure food supplies - there are also environmental concerns - but do we want more than that for rural areas where people do not want handouts? This is a much bigger question than just tinkering around with cuts here and there. For individuals on low incomes, those making no money apart from what they receive from direct payments or individuals who are losing money as a result of the price of commodities, a small cut per week is a major issue. We have a golden opportunity to try to arrive at a formula. I do not know if there is an appetite to do so, however. I can only see it going in the same direction. It will be more depressing to be a farmer. We will lose young people, a way of life and food quality and all our great ambitions will be dashed.

Much of the global political upheaval arises from too much emphasis on economy yet we cannot enjoy many of the pleasures, the leisure and lifestyle we have without economy but somehow people think we are bowing at the altar of our being economic units and we do not get the balance right. The CAP could provide an opportunity to inquire as to what is our vision for rural Ireland and to do something right in respect of it, rather than just giving people crumbs to keep them going until the next crisis. We seem to be always playing catch-up. We could do more and do something for our country, respect the cities and the rural areas. We need to take the pressure off the cities. They cannot cope. I do not know how they will cope on so many fronts.