Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

What I will say is far from a Second Stage speech. I will, however, put several pointed questions with regard to this very important matter.

Given that 40% of the field vegetables in this country are grown in my constituency, I am keenly aware of the current crisis. However, after hearing the Minister of State's reply, I do not think he appreciates the issue. What does he mean by "consolidation of grower numbers"? The decrease by 14% in the number of jobs in field vegetables does not sound like consolidation.

It is not a matter of competitiveness, as the Minister of State would allege, but of prices. Does he realise that an increase of 25% is needed in the price of vegetables if the industry is not to collapse within the next three years? That warning was made to me by people involved in the industry. Has he any proposal for the farmers whose costs are increasing and who will go out of business without a 25% increase in prices? The price of field vegetables, and cabbage in particular, is decreasing, but all I hear from the Minister of State is that growers should get their act together. That is not the solution because they already have their act together in terms of efficiency.

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