Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State indicated that the Department has set up a dedicated unit to consider the impact of Brexit. That is important but the situation we are talking about is not post the moving of Article 50 by the British Prime Minister, the reality of the crisis facing the mushroom industry is immediate. The producers cannot wait until after March 2017. We can already measure the deleterious impact on the mushroom sector, as I have shown in the facts I shared with the Minister of State earlier.

The Minister of State also indicated that the Minister has arranged a meeting with his British counterpart to discuss the impact of the British decision on the agriculture and food sector. When will that meeting take place? We need to see a demonstration of the realisation of urgency.

While I have noted the measures in budget 2017, it is important to realise that the moneys paid in grants to mushroom growers over the period of the National Development Plan 2007 to 2013 were aids to investments undertaken by the growers. They made significant investments and are heavily indebted as a consequence. The grant supports were all very fine and good at the time but we are living in very different circumstances. This is a grave situation and it is imperative that we do not just offer some of the historic facts about supports presented. We need to hear about real and substantive measures that will help to secure the 35,000 jobs involved in the sector, many of which are concentrated in critical areas throughout the country and not least in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. This is very important and I ask the Minister of State to recognise and take on board the points I have raised. I appeal to him with all the strength I can command on behalf of those so affected to ensure that there are real measures to meet this crisis, to save this industry and to ensure that there is a future for people in traditional employment areas in rural Ireland.

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