Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Chairman. I am glad to get this opportunity, and I would like to welcome Mr. Corley and the meat industry representatives. When I look across at him, I immediately think of the thousands of people who attended the beef plan meetings all around Kerry and west Cork, because I attended each and every one of them as well. I only wish that a lot of them were looking in today to see what is going on, because their lives and enterprises are on the line. I am not making this up. Mr. Corley asked about allowing a farmer's representative into the factories, and Mr. Carroll said that he did not see what benefit that would have. I can tell Mr. Carroll that farmers' trust in factories is at the lowest ebb it has ever been. When they attended the beef plan meetings, the only wish, hope, or expectation they had was that more live exports could be accessed so that there would be competition in the trade, and that meat factories and beef processors would have to pay a fair price. That is all farmers want.

I have been a farmer since birth, and I bought my own place in 1988. I put down some of the money and borrowed the rest of it, and paid it off over ten years. The farm paid for it. There would be no hope in the world of doing that today. I could not do it. No one could do it. That is the way it has gone; it has gone totally into reverse. The reasons the industry representatives been given for holding onto these rules are not satisfactory. I appreciate that they are doing a job. They are paid to come in here today on behalf of the meat industry and meat factories, but time is running out for them because farmers are not going to take it. I said earlier that there was an IFA meeting in Sneem the other night. Eight farmers attended, who were all over 75 years of age, and it is much the same in Killgarvan. I know what is going on around the whole circuit, and that is what is happening. Young men are not interested and they are not going to continue at it. As Mr. Doyle said, a lot of farmers will be getting out once they can escape from the beef genomics scheme. They are getting out as it is, because they have gone to do other things. It is sad to see what is happening in our neck of the woods, because farmers had invested an awful lot in slatted tanks. They paid for them, they got grants and they were helped and assisted. In many cases more of them did not get grants, but they had wives working in one thing and another. They took a decision to try to keep the farm enterprise going and they realised they had to comply with the environmental regulations and all that went with them. They hoped that it would turn around, but it is not turning around. It has gone full circle and it is now so bad that I do not know how it is going to be retrieved.

There are smart men here. If we hung a carcase off the roof, could anyone tell me how many times it has been moved?

I am asking the witnesses that question. Could any of them tell me how many times that carcase had been moved? A farmer asked me the other day to highlight that these young calves should not be included in the four-movement rule when they have not even been tested and sold inside the mart to the first man and then to a second man. That is totally wrong and there is no need to include them. I do not know who thought it up but I can tell the witnesses and committee that it is not benefitting the farmer or the people Deputy Scanlon, other members and I represent.

We talk about climate and carbon footprints, which is a lot of nonsense to me. We hear the Taoiseach saying that he will reduce his meat intake to reduce his carbon footprint. Another fellow is sending literature advising children to schools with the approval of An Taisce. This, again, is hurting the farmers and the fellows producing beef.

The 30-month rule has been mentioned. Farmers calve their cows in August and September. This means the 30-month rule comes into play around February or March. The only way the farmer can get that animal ready for sale is to drive it on with meal and ration so that he will get it out the door. The farmer is trying to grow and fatten the calf at the same time, which is a serious job, whereas if the animal was allowed to carry on to 36 months, it could go out on the grass all through the summer and would be perfect at 36 months in September. The witnesses have spoken about carbon footprints. If farmers were allowed to do what I have suggested, their carbon footprint would be far smaller. It does not make sense. Farmers are trying to keep going. They are up in the morning and out all night pulling calves at this time of the year and trying to get grass growing and slurry out. At the end of the time, they are not able to pay their way.