Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the new president of the IFA, Joe Healy, and wish him well in his new role. On my behalf and particularly that of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I thank all Deputies from all sides of the House who contributed. While the views expressed have, of course, been diverse, the engagement of Deputies on the range of challenges facing the sector illustrates the high degree of importance that this House attaches to the agriculture and fisheries sectors under discussion.

The sector accounts for almost 9% of total employment and some 170,000 jobs in all counties in Ireland from rural farmers and small-scale producers of quality Irish products to companies of a size and scale that make them international players in key global markets. We know that the agrifood sector has performed strongly in recent years despite very difficult economic circumstances with exports reaching an estimated €10.83 billion in 2015, an increase of more than 50% since 2009.

Ireland has a hard earned reputation for high quality and sustainably produced food products. We must continually build on this reputation. We are all agreed that the sector needs to receive appropriate support to deliver continually for all stakeholders, particularly for farmers. In this respect, the Department makes payments to farmers totalling approximately €1.8 billion annually, including single farm payments, rural development programme payments and other payments.

We must also be conscious of the strong challenges facing the sector. As outlined initially by the Minister, price volatility has been an increasing feature of agricultural markets in recent times. The Minister has been to the forefront of advancing and agreeing EU responses to these issues and in this context, the Department has introduced a number of measures to support farmers, including a €27 million volatility package for the dairy and pigmeat sectors, the final payments of which are being sent out this week. This is in addition to vital support provided through farm investment and agri-environment and knowledge transfer schemes, as funded under the 2014-20 rural development programme.

As we look to the medium term, various challenges need to be faced, including trade negotiations, where it will be incumbent on the new Government to contribute to agreements that recognise that the Irish and EU agrifood sector has multiple interests to consider. We need to be particularly conscious of the potential impact of Brexit on the sector and we will also need to begin an EU evaluation of CAP. However, while we face challenges, we must also remain focused on the opportunities. Ireland is very well placed to benefit from long-term global projections around growing populations and an increasing middle class in fast developing countries. We have something unique yet tangible in the safety and sustainability of our production and we must continually build on this. I think there is a consensus that as we look back on a number of years of difficult renewal in our country, it is obvious that the Irish agrifood sector has been pivotal in the economic recovery we are witnessing.

It is not merely an emblem of recovery but a tangible source of optimism in terms of exports and jobs which represents the lifeblood of rural Ireland in particular. I have seen in my own constituency how the agrifood sector has been instrumental in growing local sustainable jobs. As a former credit union manager, I saw at first hand the contribution farmers made to the local economy. Farmers are never afraid to reinvest in their farms and the bulk of their money is spent locally which, of course, benefits rural Ireland. At a time when we are increasingly talking about the need to ensure rural Ireland is not left behind, the agrifood sector will continue to play a vital role in Ireland's recovery. In that respect, I believe the building blocks are present for a sustainable future for the range of stakeholders across the sector for a more vibrant rural Ireland.

See this speech in context