Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this opportunity to speak about this important issue.

Deputy O'Sullivan validly pointed out that the debate should be ongoing and should not end tonight. I welcome the fact that this issue is being debated. The Minister is not present because he is meeting the Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Tom Vilsack, in the US, and I am glad his mission is going well as he attempts to open a new market for our beef. The core issue is demand. There are complications and problems at the British end and we must be proactive in tackling the cartel system among processors here.

There is an upcoming North-South Ministerial Council at which the Minister will meet the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland. I am sure the Minister of State will be present as well. Will the officials ensure that the issues of labelling, animal welfare, data sharing and beef finishers in Northern Ireland having access to local marts are on the agenda? If the last issue was addressed, this would enable beef finishers from the North to go to marts in Raphoe, Carndonagh and Milford in my county, for example, to buy animals for finishing in the North. The cattle that cross the Border could end up in the grey area of being classed as nomadic cattle, and we must get around that issue.

While it is not related to the motion, it is important that time is given to the commonage issue, which is complex and has created fear among many sheep farmers. We should not kick the can down the road on this as our predecessors did on many issues. Time and space must be provided to arrive at an agreeable solution to commonages. There are many problems and time needs to be provided.

There is a serious crisis within suckler herds and the bull beef sector. Many farmers are talking about getting out and the processors will have to step up to meet the challenge. They will have to deal with the honest reality that if they do not have primary producers, they will not have beef. They may think they will have access to cattle from Poland and other countries. They must be conscious that the suckler herd is being depleted and bull beef prices have decreased 30% on last year while costs have continued to increase.

See this speech in context