Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Mr. Mulvihill. On the last point, it is not just derogation farmers in the livestock sector. Every farmer with livestock has a part to play, but water quality is most definitely impacted by many other things besides farming enterprises. Against that, we have to make sure we can present the best case possible for the derogation. A point you made forcefully in your statement is that of generational renewal. The uncertainty about the derogation is having a huge negative impact. I see that in my own area and everywhere else. If we are not careful, we will end up with a farming model very similar to that of New Zealand, with very large units, and the family farm model as we know it will disappear. I see it in my neighbourhood where, this spring, a significant number of farmers have decided to exit. They mainly have typical family farms of between 80 and 150 cows. Most of them are in derogation. The paperwork and the uncertainty are making up their minds for them. If a person is farming with from 80 to 100 cows and is told they have to reduce by 15% to 20%, they see no future in it. Regarding the next generation, if you have a son or daughter who is going to take over a farm and the first thing they are told is that they have to reduce numbers, they will just walk away.

Another point is that we have had rapid expansion of our dairy industry since the abolition of quotas. It is safe to say that this expansion is at an end. I cannot see us hitting the levels of production of 2022 again over the next few years from the figures Mr. Muhvihill has given us. The weather has had a huge impact. Everyone I meet tells me that cows are not milking well this spring and it is all weather related. With the number of people leaving the industry, expansion in other herds is definitely not going to compensate for that. It will be a huge problem.

The witnesses have a very well-thought out document here. We will go through it in detail so that the secretariat can make the best possible use of it and so that we, as an Oireachtas committee, can make the maximum effort we can to ensure we have the best possible case going to Brussels. In my view, we were not well enough prepared for the last decision, but there is no point in going back and fighting old battles. That battle is over and we need to maintain focus on ensuring we win this decision. I see Holland has reversed its decision on derogation and is now going back to Brussels seeking a derogation. There are different views in the media on whether that is positive or negative. The Dutch realise the importance of the industry to the country and are trying to reverse the direction of travel.

The point has to be forcefully made that sustainable food production is essential. We have a huge amount of migration at the moment. One of the reasons behind this is world hunger. People are moving from parts of the world where they cannot sustain themselves. The ability of the planet to feed itself is under more and more pressure. It makes no sense, even from a moral point of view, to restrict the food production of a country that can sustainably produce food. World food security is something we have to get back on the agenda. This point needs to be driven home in Brussels. The committee was in Brussels some months ago and met a few Commissioners. I was shocked by the narrow focus of policy there. It was completely focused on climate change. There was no focus on food sustainability or the need for food security. This has to be changed. I am not a climate change denier. I fully accept that climate change is a fact of life and we have to adapt our practices. However, allowing other parts of the world to replace the food we produce here is most definitely not going to help climate change. We have to get all those points across forcefully. I very much welcome your document which is extremely well thought out and put together.