Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

It would be great to hear Deputy Ned O'Keeffe giving the agricultural speech at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis this weekend to maybe 3,000 or 4,000 people. He might tell some of the home truths and say what the Minister should be doing.

Like Deputy O'Keeffe, I have some doubts about this Bill and many aspects need to be questioned. I hope that Bord Glas is not lost in the merger with Bord Bia and that, in two years' time, it remains as important as it has been up to now. When introducing the Bill to establish Bord Glas as a statutory body, the then Minister of State, Deputy Kirk, said: "The Government believes that the much needed development of our horticultural industry can be achieved only if responsibility for the development is put in the hands of a body with specific overall responsibility to carry out the task." It is more important now than in the past that Bord Glas does not lose the recognition it has.

As with many mergers, many promises are made as to how the business of Bord Glas and Bord Bia will be carried out. I hope these promises are not just made to keep the Opposition happy when introducing the Bill and will be kept. I welcome the decentralisation of Bord Glas and Bord Bia to Enniscorthy. As Members will be aware, Wexford in the sunny south-east is an agricultural county with a significant horticultural sector. Enniscorthy will be a fine home for the boards.

The food and drink industry has been important to us for many years. Agriculture was traditionally the cornerstone of our economy. Coming from a farming background, I understand the importance of agriculture. Work on farms, or in co-operatives or suppliers has created many jobs. It is sad that level of employment is slowly dropping. As Deputy Ned O'Keeffe and other speakers have said, younger people are afraid to farm because they see the decline in agriculture. Bord Glas and Bord Bia are important boards for the future development of agriculture.

In recent years there has been much discussion about the need for healthy eating habits. Bord Glas plays an important role in promoting our fresh fruit and vegetables. We have been warned about obesity and told how important it is to eat vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, etc. The level of obesity has increased by 67% between 1990 and 2000. More than 20% of men and 16% of women are now obese. It is now even more important to encourage healthy eating habits. When the new board is formed, I hope it will extend the campaign to get people to eat fruit and vegetables, especially those produced here.

It is sad that many vegetables for sale in supermarkets are imported. There is no need for this as there are many good Irish producers, including many in my county of Wexford. It is shameful that supermarkets in Wexford are selling imported vegetables that are also being grown two or three miles away. In the late 1990s, I was on a Macra na Feirme exchange to Thessaloniki in Greece where we brought a range of Irish food and drink. About 15 or 16 other countries participated in the exchange and they were most impressed with the range of fine food we produce, including salmon, vegetables and meat. We do not give sufficient emphasis at home to the fine food we produce.

It is wonderful to go to other countries and see Irish food displayed for sale. It is possible to see Galtee rashers and other meat on sale in America, England and in other places. It gives me a sense of pride to be from Ireland when I see such Irish food in other countries. There is great energy and enthusiasm about Bord Glas, which has a great sense of what it wants to do. I hope this will continue.

I was disappointed by the decision of Teagasc to close its food research station in Clonroche in County Wexford where much research was carried out over the past 30 or 40 years into produce such as strawberries, raspberries, teaberries, blackberries, etc. Yesterday when talking about the Teagasc facilities to be closed, the Minister said that no research had been carried out in the Clonroche station in recent years. An important Teagasc funded five year research study on varieties of strawberries was stopped after one year and transferred elsewhere. It is not possible to start a research programme on fruit in one place and transfer it to another county or even to another part of the county. I attended horticultural college for three years and know exactly what I am talking about.

The Teagasc research station in Clonroche actively carried out trials over many years with considerable success. Many horticultural students were employed there through FÁS. It will no longer be able to give young people the opportunity to enter the horticultural industry. I started by doing a course in Clonroche, went on to Kildalton Agricultural College and continued horticultural studies in England. The Teagasc functions have been decentralised with some going to Kilkenny, Johnstown in County Wexford and Oakpark in County Carlow. The loss of the Teagasc beekeeping work from the station is also very sad. It is a shame that the facility has been sold lock, stock and barrel. It was an important part of the community in the Clonroche, New Ross and Enniscorthy areas for many years.

Deputy Ned O'Keeffe referred to the country of origin stamp on beef, a matter about which I feel strongly. Butchers in Wexford, Dublin and elsewhere claim that they supply Irish beef, but that is not the case. These individuals get their beef from other countries. Many of them supply hotels and restaurants and a large numbers of them do not want to sign up to the Féile Bia scheme because they can obtain beef that is much cheaper than Irish beef. They should be penalised for not signing up to the scheme. We should be proud of the beef produced in this country. Traceability is extremely important. An onus should be placed on hotels and restaurants to the effect that a percentage of the meat they use should be of Irish origin. Perhaps the Minister will comment on whether the new board will be able to take action in this regard.

Are people employed to check whether hotels or restaurants which display the Féile Bia certificate use Irish beef? I feel strongly about this matter. Ireland produces some of the best beef in the world, a fact of which I am proud.

Other speakers referred to the difference between farm gate and supermarket prices for meat and vegetables. The IFA in Enniscorthy is trying to establish a country market and is seeking a location for it in the town. Farmers would be able to sell their produce direct to customers at such a market. The Minister of State will probably have seen the survey carried out some weeks ago by Deputy Timmins, details of which appeared on our website, www.ripoff.ie. Deputy Timmins went to a supermarket and bought a range of groceries, vegetables and meat and then carried out a comparison in terms of the amount farmers get as opposed to that obtained by supermarkets. He discovered a major difference, in monetary terms, between what supermarkets charge and what farmers get for their produce. As Deputy Sargent stated, that is why farm markets are far more prevalent now than in the past. Farmers have discovered that they are not paid the full amount due to them for their produce.

I hope that Bord Bia and Bord Glas will not lose their identities when they are amalgamated. Bord Glas is an important entity. The horticultural industry is vital to our economy and I hope it will not be lost. During the debate in the Seanad it was suggested that Bord Iascaigh Mhara should be incorporated into the new Bord Bia. I am not fully au fait with the process in bringing boards together. Such boards are established to do a particular job and they should be allowed to do it. Bord Glas and Bord Bia have representatives in other countries who play in important role in terms of advertising the great food produced in Ireland.

I hope the Minister can bring about a return of confidence in the areas of horticulture and agriculture. Many young people are not interested in taking up a career in either sector because they believe they will be tied to their farm or whatever seven days a week for 15 or 16 hours a day. These people know that someone can work from nine to five and earn as much money as they would on a farm. I come from an agricultural background and there is a great sense of pride to be had from realising what can be achieved on a farm in terms of growing vegetables, rearing cattle etc. One sees nature at work on a farm. We should use that fact to encourage young people to remain in farming. They no longer wish to do so because they cannot obtain the price for their produce that they rightly deserve. In light of Deputy Timmins's survey regarding supermarket prices versus farm gate prices, it is no wonder young people do not want to remain in agriculture.

I ask the Minister to ensure that Bord Glas and Bord Bia do not lose their identities when the new board is established and that the great work they are doing at present is continued. Bord Bia is doing a fine job in promoting Irish beef and I ask that it continues to do so.

See this speech in context