Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)

Sinn Féin would welcome any further supports aimed at increasing participation in agriculture among young people and enhancing research and development activity. We would also welcome the prospect of foreign partnerships, as announced in the budget. We cannot wait for others to suggest alternatives for our consideration. The Department must be proactive and produce a road map setting out the direction in which agriculture should move, the areas we wish to support and the means by which our objectives will be achieved. The greatest risk facing us is that opportunities will be lost. Unless the Government and Oireachtas take a proactive approach and set out a vision and road map, the opportunities will pass us by. We must not spend the moneys that are available on management consultant reports which will not create a single job or, worse still, fail to expend them, which would require us to return them.

See this speech in context