Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)

We had proposed to delete the words "negotiate at an EU level to allow for the orderly expansion of the dairy industry in Ireland between now and the ending of milk quotas in 2015" and substitute "negotiate at EU level to allow for the orderly transition of the dairy industry in Ireland to protect security of milk supplies, processors and suppliers after 2015". We believed the amendment was necessary because the Fianna Fáil motion and the Fine Gael amendment were a little short-sighted, looking only as far as 2015. Many farmers have made heavy investments, and these must be protected after 2015. I understand the spirit of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael proposals, but our amendment would have made it more clear precisely what we were trying to do.

When I first read the Fianna Fáil motion, I was not sure what its purpose was. I thought it was quite narrow in focus when there are so many areas of agriculture we need to talk about. However, I was heartened to hear the response of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The comments of Deputies have gone beyond the narrow confines of the motion, which I welcome. In my first address to Dáil Éireann I said that as long as the Minister spoke openly and plainly and demonstrated his knowledge of and passion for the brief, and as long as we had general agreement on the road he was taking, he would enjoy my and Sinn Féin's full support. I reiterate that tonight. I thank the Minister, who obviously has a passion for his brief and great knowledge of it.

According to the brief given to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the objective of the Department is to "lead the sustainable development of a competitive, innovative, consumer focussed agriculture, food, fishery and forestry sector and to contribute to a vibrant rural and coastal economy and society" by pursuing the following five goals:

1. Provide an appropriate policy framework to support the development of an internationally competitive, innovative and consumer-focused sector.

2. Ensure the highest possible standards of food safety, consumer protection, animal health and welfare, fish and plant health, including appropriate bio-security measures.

3. Promote economic, social, environmental sustainability, and appropriate structural change in the agriculture, fisheries, forestry, bio-energy and food production sectors.

4. Operate all our schemes and programmes in an efficient, effective and consumer focused manner, improve our quality of service delivery and simplify the regulatory burden on all our clients.

5. Continually enhance our capability by developing our people and systems, maintain the highest standard of corporate governance and implement the decentralisation programme and public service modernisation.

These are all very laudable goals. However, I have seen over the years a number of instances - I am not speaking specifically about the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - in which the enunciated vision and goals of Departments are not followed through in terms of the choices and practices of people working in those Departments. I suggest that the Minister look more closely at the operation of those Departments.

One of the objectives of the Department is to "[o]perate all our schemes and programmes in an efficient, effective and consumer focused manner, improve our quality of service delivery and simplify the regulatory burden on all our clients." Every Deputy, of every party, has several examples of farmers who are not paid on time, whose payments are held up, often for spurious reasons, and who continually face impediments in trying to obtain what they are justly entitled to - often after they have made serious financial investments in their businesses to qualify for a grant in the first place. I fully accept the veracity of the Minister's vision and his passion for it. However, he will have to make sure the troops behind him share that vision and that they are working in a changed way. It should not be a case of one person versus another. The public service, the public, producers, farmers and businessmen should work together to do the right thing. Often, that does not happen.

Food Harvest 2020 is an exciting document with ambitious targets. We should all work towards achievement of these targets, and it can be done. However, if we constantly see cutbacks in research and reduction in State investment in the very machinery that will help attain the targets set out in the document, and if we constantly reduce the income of those who produce the goods under the framework of Food Harvest 2020 and undermine the very basis on which they work, those targets will slip. We must do two things, namely, remove the impediments that exist and provide support in areas such as research and promotion.

We must bear in mind - I know the Minister does so - the importance of this industry in both economic and social terms. We must ensure that this industry, which is vital, is protected. The agrifood sector contributes €24 billion to the national economy. It generates 6.3% of gross value added and 7.4% of employment nationally. When the employment provided in inputs, processing and marketing is included, the agrifood sector accounts for almost 10% of employment in this country. Sometimes people who live in towns and cities do not understand the importance of agriculture. If an industry in a town is doing well, then everything must be all right. However, the country would be immeasurably poorer if there was a dramatic drop in the income from agriculture and those who live in its towns and cities would be much poorer as a result.

Agrifood is one of Ireland's most important indigenous manufacturing sectors, accounting for the employment of 150,000 people. The approximately 600 food and drinks firms throughout the country export to some 140 markets worldwide. This illustrates the huge size of the industry, which accounts for in the region of 8% of GDP. The primary agriculture accounts for 3% of GDP.

There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the manufacturing sector. Less than 17% of the raw material inputs required by the agrifood industry are imported. This compares to a figure of over 60% of imports required by the manufacturing sector. Most of the agrifood sector is, therefore, within our control and there is no need for us to worsen our balance of payments in order to improve its position. Given that the global population is increasing at a rapid pace, that consumption is rising and that the demand for food is greater than ever, agrifood exports represent a large potential source of revenue for this country. This is the case because, thankfully, Ireland is still seen as a rural and green island. We must capitalise on this and increase the level of our agrifood exports. I accept that the targets are ambitious but they can be achieved. However, the latter will not happen unless people change their mindset in the context of how we manage our agrifood business.

We must formulate a strategy in respect of agriculture and food farming and the wider issues of rural development and job retention and creation. We should identify the jobs which might be created in the agrifood sector. In addition, we must bear in mind a set of broader policy objectives in order to place the economic analysis relating to the agrifood sector in context. Only through an observation of such objectives can the current analysis be treated in an adequate manner.

The type of overarching policy objectives to which I refer include minimising the country's vulnerability to recessions generated by international markets by developing indigenous industries - as envisaged under Food Harvest 2020; reducing our over-reliance on foreign direct investment, which makes us vulnerable to global economic downturns; promoting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises - including agrifood enterprises - from which the bulk of employment currently stems; promoting a progressive enterprise culture, particularly in the context of supporting the development of national and local brands; and bringing about balanced regional development by redressing geographical imbalances and inequalities in infrastructure and employment.

Sinn Féin is of the view that the core objective of any rural development programme involves creating a co-ordinated programme; retaining the maximum number of people on the land and preserving the social fabric of rural life; and ensuring that everyone has a dignified standard of living. We also want real reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the original objective of which was to maintain the maximum number of farmers on the land while ensuring a proper standard of living for farmers and fair prices for consumers. It has not delivered in this regard and it must be changed. However, we must be careful with regard to the changes we might seek in respect of it.

Sinn Féin would also like a funding initiative to promote organic farming to be introduced. Organic farming becomes commercially viable on much smaller acreages of land than is the case with farming which utilises the more common and popular methods. I invite the Minister to visit the organic centre located at Rossinver in north Leitrim. This centre is well regarded nationally. In fact, it is considered a model of excellence. There is a food hub in Drumshanbo where expensive equipment and marketing methods are shared in a co-op approach by various producers. This hub is also a model of excellence. When he is travelling to Killybegs, perhaps the Minister will stop off in north Leitrim in order that we might show him these wonderful facilities. There are also a number of models of excellence in County Sligo which he might visit. Perhaps he will contact me when he is on his way to Killybegs because I would be delighted to show him around the facilities to which I refer.

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