Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. During the period of the Celtic tiger, the focus on agriculture was put on the back burner. Neglect of our most valuable natural resource led to some disastrous decisions during this period, one of which was the ending of the sugar beet industry. I have heard my colleagues speak about the effect this had on Carlow and it also had a huge effect in Cork north west, where the sugar factory in Marlow was closed with the loss of many jobs, both direct and indirect, which we would all appreciate having now. There was also an opportunity for by-products such as ethanol which are of huge value as commodities throughout the world at present.

Agriculture is a sustainable industry in the economy. We have significant natural resources in our grass-fed dairy industry, which is renowned worldwide for its outstanding produce. Dairygold and Kerry Group are major drivers in this sector in Cork north west. We saw yesterday the announcement by Kerry group of 900 jobs in Kildare. It also recently signed a partnership agreement with a Chinese group for the supply of Irish dairy ingredients for infant nutrition in China, and we hope to have an announcement soon on an increase in employment at its Charleville plant. All recent world statistics show growing concern for the ability to produce sufficient food for the world market, concerns that are echoed within the EU itself. New markets such as China provide great opportunities for growth in agrifood opportunities and we are already beginning to take advantage of these.

The Minister has clearly laid out his priorities on the negotiations of CAP, namely, delivering a well resourced CAP, retaining Ireland's share of CAP funds, maximising payment flexibility for member states and simplification of administration. These aims are a monumental task for both the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Taoiseach. The overall funding will be decided by the heads of state. The Commission at present proposes a freeze on the budget, which would result in a decline in real terms. As always, there is intense pressure from some quarters to reduce the overall EU budget and, in particular, the CAP budget. The Taoiseach will be doing everything possible to hold the line at the various European Council meetings.

The central issue for the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is to change the Commission proposals for the allocation of funds within member states. A common approach to dealing with the Commission proposals has already been agreed by Ireland with Spain, Portugal, Italy, Luxembourg and Denmark. It must be remembered that many details remain to be fleshed out and there will be many ups and downs in this process. I am confident the Minister will achieve the best possible deal for Ireland, maybe not one that will satisfy every individual farmer, but one that is fair to all farmers, with the ultimate benefit to the economy.

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