Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to say a few words on this important issue. It is not too often we get an opportunity to speak on agricultural matters, so it is important to point out the importance of agriculture to the economy. In years gone by, under Fianna Fáil administrations, agriculture was not treated with any respect. Now, for the first time, agriculture is more important than bricks and mortar.

Farmers, beef farmers in particular, have gone through an early winter and a difficult spring. We have seen prices collapse in the industry. Prices were artificially high last year and an unreal expectation was created as a result. If we look back over the figures for the past number of years, the average price was €3.79 per kg. It is now €3.67 and at its height last year it was €4.43. An unreal expectation was created at that point. We need to put proper structures in place to ensure the current situation does not happen again. While I acknowledge there is a problem, there is no quick fix solution. There never has been a quick fix solution to the problems.

As my colleague, Deputy Doyle, mentioned earlier, we had an issue in the dairy industry three or four years ago. I am well aware of that as a dairy farmer in Carlow. Nobody came to bail me out three or four years ago when I was getting 20 cent a litre for milk. I had to grin and bear it and get on with it. We have difficulties currently, but we must ensure these difficulties do not arise again in the future. We must put proper structures in place to ensure stability for the future. We are ahead of the posse on that, as Deputy Ó Cuív knows well from attending our Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which has been bringing in the different people involved. All the stakeholders have been involved in the committee, producers, factory people, Teagasc and so on. We brought all of these on board to ensure we had a round table discussion. This has been rubbished by some of the Opposition, but round table discussion and getting people together are the only way to sort this, to put proper structures in place and ensure we have stability. As a result of the round table discussions, we have had the Dowling report, which will be key to ensuring stability for the future. The recommendations that have been published must be implemented as soon as possible to ensure we have a proper structure for the future.

It is ironic that we are discussing this issue when the Minister is in America trying to get alternative markets. One of the solutions to the issue is an alternative market. It is an issue of supply and demand as we know. More alternative markets are essential. It is important for the Minister to go abroad or to wherever the markets are to try to ensure viable markets for the future. Under the CAP negotiations last year, we got a good deal for agriculture in this country, despite the fact the Opposition might disagree. It is also ironic that the main beef producing farmers are the productive farmers in the south east of the country, as Deputy Browne mentioned earlier. They are the same farmers whose single farm payment Deputy Ó Cuív wanted to reduce to a maximum of €400 per hectare. That is what he wanted to do.They are the productive farmers who are producing the beef to go to the factories for the supermarkets, but he wanted to reduce their payments to €400 per hectare. At the same time, we had to battle to ensure we got €700 per hectare.

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