Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

The farm waste management scheme is the most successful on-farm investment scheme in the history of the State. It will see over €2 billion invested by both farmers and the Irish taxpayer in providing essential on-farm infrastructure and represents a long-term investment in improving the productive capacity of the most important indigenous sector in the economy. The scheme represents an enormous vote of confidence in the sector and is well justified on the basis of our export performance. Significantly, a recent analytical study showed that the agrifood industry contributed over 30% of net foreign earnings from the manufacturing sector.

Ireland must compete on the basis of quality, productivity and efficiency and must ensure that we meet the needs of consumers and society in general. We must ensure that the sector operates in a manner that is consistent with the preservation of the natural environment. Investment in the farm waste management scheme is consistent with all these priorities.

While market conditions are difficult at the moment, as Deputy Crawford mentioned, the global demand for meat and milk is forecast to double over the next 40 years and Irish agriculture and the agrifood sector——

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