Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The price of cattle and the drop in sheep prices was referred to, in particular the 35% drop in prices for lambs. For those reasons there is a need to improve the schemes that have been mentioned.

I commend Teagasc on the role it has played. We had a good breakfast meeting with Teagasc last week. I hope we will have more meetings, including public meetings. Teagasc referred to the fact that many young people are interested in courses in agricultural colleges. There is much emphasis on young people getting involved in farming and on the transfer of land. It is interesting to note that last week Catriona Murphy indicated in the Irish Independent that, according to the latest Central Statistics Office figures, there was an increase in the number of farms owned by women – something of the order of 15%, amounting to 17,324 farms in the ten years between 2000 and 2010. There is a low rate of female land ownership in this country.

I also commend Foróige on the survey and questionnaire it carried out among young people on farm safety, and also the project on farm safety by three young students from the Dominican college in Galway city for the BT Young Scientist & Technology competition to measure gas emissions from slurry tanks, which as we know have been a source of accidents and fatalities. I commend Teagasc and the Health and Safety Authority on producing a new leaflet highlighting the importance of safe slurry handling.

The Government must retain CAP funding after 2013. The single farm payments and the rural development scheme must be fully protected. In the context of farm organisations, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association has strongly pressed the Minister to ensure the maximum number of farmers receive advance payments to alleviate financial pressure caused by the weather in recent months. I hope that can be done as quickly as possible.

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