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

I have listened with interest for the past few minutes to my learned colleagues from Dún Laoghaire and Portlaoise speaking about the sugar industry and its benefit to the country over many years, which is true. There is one particular and important point my colleague from Portlaoise omitted, however, which is that his colleagues in the European Parliament recently voted to restrict the production of sugar within Europe. At the same time, we are trying to ensure there is a viable industry here. It is important to make the point that we cannot have it both ways. Either we want it or we do not. In the past it was very important to us to have an industry such an this one but it was taken from us by the people to my left, who seem to forget that fact whenever it suits them. It is important that my colleagues in Sinn Féin are not hypocritical about the situation. They are looking for an industry to return, something we all want, but have a different view on it in the European Parliament. That should not be forgotten.

It is important that we have diversity. We have diversity at present in agriculture, which has changed considerably over the past 20 or 30 years. That point must also not be forgotten. Beef and dairy farmers are constantly monitoring what their cattle are producing to ensure it can be minimised to best effect. They also have an important role to play in terms of the future. We cannot keep blaming agriculture and farming in general for the current situation. It is important that we move on from that. It would be great to have sugar produced in Ireland again. We all want it back but we must come clean about who wants it back more than others.

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