Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister pointed out that the average farm wage is a good bit lower than the average industrial wage of €27,000 a year; it is €10,000 less, particularly in the beef and sheep sectors. The average income is approximately €16,000 per annum for sheep and €13,000 per annum for beef, which means that many farm families are struggling to make a real income from farming. A total of 40% of all farms in the country have an annual income of less than €10,000. Direct payments last year were down 10%. That is a particular difficulty facing those farms because of the reduced CAP pot, which impinges significantly on them as well.

Would the Minister meet the dairy forum and beef forum together and bring other actors and interests in the agricultural sector, such as those in industry and the financial sector, together at one meeting? That would be very useful and would reflect the fact that the Government understands the crisis facing farming, if indeed it does. It would also provide reassurance that it will look for solutions.

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