Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I found it difficult to understand the Minister for Agriculture and Food's speech on this motion. I think she was trying to say that although the Government has signed up to the directive, we should not be concerned because it does not intend to implement it. I know Fianna Fáil is fairly good at tricking the public by pulling the wool over its eyes, but the public does not believe it any more. The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, is a decent man. I regret that the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, is not present.

I welcome the honesty of the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, who said today that Fianna Fáil has been almost exclusively in Government for the last 18 years. His comments were a change from Fianna Fáil's references to "successive Governments", which has been its mantra since it started to plummet in the polls. The party that has been almost exclusively in Government for 18 years has presided over an unprecedented flight from the land during that period.

The Government made many pronouncements this time last year about the freedom to farm, the new dawn for farmers, the Government's great commitment to farming, decoupling, modulation and the end to red tape. It now looks like all we are getting is modulation and even that is on a downward trend. The Government is trying to rewrite an agreement that was agreed a short time ago. The Government consistently said at that time that farmers need to be able to plan, to know what is happening and to be given some freedom. It claimed that the end of red tape would be followed by a great new dawn. Twelve months on, however, we are talking about the Government's plans to require farmers, who have been using such products for many years to get prescriptions for dry cow tubes. It is telling farmers that they will have to go to vets to get prescriptions for such tubes. I always thought the main Government party was pragmatic, but it has changed if it is asking farmers to get prescriptions for doses and intramammaries. I find it difficult to understand.

Despite the Government's commitment to consult interested parties about the proposed changes, I have not met a farmer or vet who agrees with the changes. The Irish Veterinary Union sent me a letter expressing its feelings about the matter. I cannot see what the changes will achieve. Ireland exports 90% of its meat products. Farmers are mindful of food safety issues and the need to produce a quality product because they know they will suffer if there is a blip in food quality. Irish milk is tested rigorously for residue and random tests are carried out on meat. Farmers know they will suffer the consequences if they fail such tests. What is the point of putting this extra burden on farmers? I refer to the inconvenience to farmers of trying to source vets, for example. It can be very difficult to find vets in many areas. The Irish Veterinary Union spoke about competition among vets, but very few parts of the country have more than one vet. There are no vets at all in places like north Mayo. The proposed changes, which will give rise to hardship and additional costs, will achieve nothing.

This is a sad day. Successive Fianna Fáil Governments have put the boot into farmers over the past 18 years. They have been taken in hook, line and sinker by the mantras which have emerged from the Department of Agriculture and Food. No Minister has stood up to the Department's blather. If one reads the reports on the website of the EU investigation office, one will learn that many places did not reach the required standard and that many investigations were not carried out in the required manner. A comment that sticks in my mind is the suggestion that the Irish officials went over and above what was required in the EU directive.

I call on all colleagues in the House to support this worthwhile motion, as I will. I ask those inclined to do otherwise if they really believe the Minister will reverse this in a number of months. Why sign up to it if she intends to reverse it? I commend the motion to the House. I hope in particular that the Independent Deputies, who may have supported the Government in the past, might show some common sense.

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