Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity afforded by my colleague, Deputy Ó Cuív, to highlight the plight of the agricultural sector. That plight is numbered among some positive and some negative things that are happening in the industry. Contrary to what Deputy Hayes had to say last night, our job as public representatives is, in the first instance, to keep the Government informed on behalf of those who gave us the privilege and opportunity to do so. We do that both to provide information and to seek to have policy derived from the representations of our constituents. In a predominantly rural constituency such as mine, I am in receipt of much representation from the farming community and its industry representatives.

Yesterday, as many speakers mentioned, there was a fantastic announcement of an investment by Kerry Group, with up to 900 jobs to be created in County Kildare along with 400 temporary construction jobs. Such investment by an indigenous but global market leader is testament to the quality of the Irish food-producing sector. It is testament to the commitment and excellence of the farming and agricultural sectors and the contribution they make to the Irish economy. More importantly, it may be a testament to and a recognition of the principles of the Food Harvest 2020 programme, which was initiated and delivered in co-operation with farming bodies by the previous Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Brendan Smith. That programme is underpinned by the three core principles the Minister mentioned last night, namely, smart farming, green farming and sustainable farming. I acknowledge the Minister's commitment to Food Harvest 2020 and compliment him on maintaining that policy which drives agriculture towards the targets contained in it, the principal one being growth of up to 42% in food production by 2020. I also acknowledge there has been progress and that, in spite of some blips in regard to prices in milk and beef at present, which are related to factory prices, improvements in the region of 19% have been made. We also acknowledge that 10% of the projected 42% growth in food production has been achieved.

We are well aware of the importance of exports to this economy, and agriculture plays an enormous part in that. We are well aware the beef- and milk-producing industries contribute greatly and that we are world leaders in terms of exports not only to Europe but also to world markets. However, we can also get lost in all this hype. When we talk about the broader economy and the great performance of our exports we must acknowledge that 60% of those exports come from the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Although that contribution is well received and widely acknowledged, we must remember it is not a great provider of jobs.

When discussing this motion and the performance of the agricultural sector, it is important to give credit where credit is due and acknowledge the contribution the Minister has made to the improvements we have highlighted. As any credible Opposition would do, however, we must highlight his failings and the deficiencies we see in the way he manages his Department and delivers to those constituents to whom the Taoiseach gave him the privilege of delivering. As Deputy Ó Cuív noted, we must highlight the fact that in these austere and difficult times of budgetary process there was an underspend of €200 million by the Department in regard to the budget promises of last year. This amount could have addressed the failings we now observe in the Minister's AEOS scheme. It could have compensated for the Minister's failures to deliver a fodder scheme for weather-affected areas and address the diesel pricing system, as Deputy Collins noted. We must highlight the fact that this funding could have aided the Minister in delivering the disadvantaged area system.

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