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

I join my colleagues in thanking Deputy Ó Cuív for tabling this motion. Deputies on all sides of the House, from all parties and none, recognise the value of agriculture to this economy, especially in these straitened times.

The beef sector has particular value to both the economy and the communities we serve. As many speakers indicated, buoyancy in the sector can only benefit everyone.

As is often stated, our reputation in this area has grown in recent years. Ireland is now one of the leading producers of beef and we have a product that is clean, green and of the highest quality. However, many Deputies on all sides, particularly those on the Government side, have acknowledged the grave problem that exists in the beef sector. For example, Deputy John Paul Phelan stated earlier that a radical change is required in the context of how we address this issue. Deputy Connaughton referred to factories that have the potential to ruin producers. A number of speakers highlighted the fact that recent figures indicate a loss of income for farmers of anything up to 22% and a drop in price of up to 20%. It appears, however, that the Government does not believe this crisis to be of a magnitude that the remainder of us believe it to be.

On Leaders' Questions this morning Deputy Clare Daly raised the issue of the employees of the Greyhound waste management company. One can empathise with the plight of those workers on whom the bombshell was dropped last week regarding a 20% to 25% reduction in wages in order for the company to maintain its viability. The Taoiseach was aghast and flabbergasted when that issue was brought to his attention and referred to the various arms of the State - the Labour Court and so forth - which might assist in negotiating a settlement at the company. The motion before the House contains a mechanism by means of which issues affecting the beef sector which are not currently being dealt with might be addressed. I refer here to the appointment of a regulator to address the obvious and ongoing difficulties which have not been resolved despite many negotiations between the producers and the factories.

We all recognise that the Government has a responsibility in respect of this matter. However, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has a particular responsibility to lead and not be led, and to listen to the various stakeholders. I am sure he listened attentively in recent times and is au faitwith the problems that exist. He must now proceed to offer solutions. Round-table discussions - to which much reference has been made - are not the means by which this crisis can be dealt with head-on, by which to bring about the radical change required, as Deputy John Paul Phelan noted, or by which to address the issue of factories being in a position to ruin producers. What are required are initiatives. Our duty, as an Opposition party, is to provide alternatives and solutions which the Government can evaluate before coming forward with suggestions of its own. That is the purpose of the brief few hours of Private Members' time allocated each week. Our motion contains proposals that the Government can either take on board or offer alternatives to.

The first point we make is that a beef regulator is required in order to address the lack of fairness that exists between producers and the factories. The Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, and the line Minister must make an effort to address the labelling issue that exists in the North and the UK. I ask that this be done as quickly as is humanly possible and that the Minister of State inform the House of the progress that is made at the earliest opportunity. It is also necessary that an update be provided in respect of markets, be it in Russia or in the US, where the Minister is at present. Is there going to be an overall EU agreement or is our product going to be recognised for what it is, namely, vastly superior to that of many other member states? If those issues are addressed, the Minister of State might then be in a position to inform the House of a mechanism by means of which the relevant reductions might be offset. If the latter are offset, the industry might be allowed to prosper again and become what it is expected to be. It must be remembered that all of this has massive implications for the 2020 programme.

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