Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I am only saying what the Chair is thinking. I will try to be as brief as possible. The overwhelming sense I get when dealing with this issue is that there is a lack of enthusiasm and certainly a lack of drive, which is bewildering, considering many commentators suggest that this could be an important crop for diversification, farm incomes and climate action. Everything that has been done seems minimal. This is not directed at just the Department or agencies, but applies across the board.

Mr. Moloney mentioned some very low numbers earlier, with 300 ha in 2019.

He gave a rationale that perhaps this was due to the low price of beef that year, and the fact that there was not a market and that people moved out from it. He further said that the assumption is based on any future growing of the crop replacing spring barley production. Which is it? Who diversifies and where does Mr. Moloney see the potential for hemp growth? Is it in areas where spring barley is not being grown? It was my understanding that the type of area that would be most suitable might be the likes of the Border region, the midlands, even into the west, which would not have a high prevalence of tillage farming at the moment, and that it would actually be a diversification from meat or even dairy.