Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate tonight. There are a number of points I wish to make. Everybody acknowledges the absolutely outstanding role agriculture, the agrifood sector and even the marine sector play in terms of the economic recovery that is so badly needed by our country. There is no part of this country unaffected by the blight of unemployment. Creating sustainable jobs in the agrifood industry and all that follows rotates around having a fine and functioning agrarian background. That is of critical importance to our economic recovery. Creating sustainable jobs in rural Ireland contributes to the recovery of the economy, particularly the social economy.

There is a point worth mentioning, one that is put to us every time we meet the IFA. I acknowledge the very fine protest the organisation ran today, being mindful of people living around the capital city. The IFA is a fine organisation that not only conducts a very honourable service to its members but is very good at communicating with decision makers and policy makers, the people who are key to the success of their members. Its representatives tell us that credit is a significant issue. We must remind ourselves of a number of developments this year - the agrifarm investment scheme fund from Bank of Ireland and the agrifood fund from Allied Irish Banks, offering €200 million and €250 million, respectively. That is absolutely critical. One of the many criticisms of the economy is the lack of credit available here. People are trying to run businesses without that bedrock of funding being available to them. That is a significant issue and one that did not happen by coincidence.

In Deputy Coveney, we have a reforming Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine who has driven this issue to top priority at Cabinet level. He is also responsible for many reforms and developments happening in the marine sector, which are worthy of acknowledgment. The motion from Fianna Fáil must rank as the most brazen piece of political hypocrisy witnessed in this country for a hell of a long time. Its party members have come into the Chamber with fairytale economics, expecting expansion of this and that. It is a bit hard to take. I remind Deputy Ó Cuív that in the dying days of the last Administration, when the Green Party was jumping up and down, he was silent. He could not find his tongue then.

The Deputy voted to abolish installation aid and the early retirement scheme, and this had a hugely negative impact on farming families.

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