Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister of State being here and taking the Topical Issue during a timeframe when we need a solution before tags are ordered the next back end. I do not disagree with anything the Minister of State said in his statement but the nub of the issue is where the shortfall in funding is going to come from or what mechanism his Department will use to address it. He did not give any answers. We know the figures. There is a shortfall that will increase rather than diminish if action is not taken because roughly 50% of herd owners who ordered tags did not contribute. Such is human nature that if people see their neighbour is not contributing to a voluntary levy, more people will opt out of the scheme. We need a formula sooner rather than later to address adequately this shortfall.

None of us is arguing about the hugely important work that the ICBF does. As a dairy and beef farmer, I can see that the evaluation on the economic breeding index side of things is the envy of many other countries. That is why the funding is so critical for an organisation like this, which has been a success since its foundation in 1998. It would be hugely detrimental to our agricultural industry if because of a shortfall in funding, the ICBF's activities were to be restricted. While I agree fully with the sentiments expressed by the Minister of State about the ICBF, its functions and its achievements, when I got to the nub of the question about how the shortfall will be addressed, the Minister of State did not address that issue. I respectfully suggest that he convey to the Minister our anxiety about this shortfall and our concern that measures to address it are expedited as quickly as possible. It needs to be addressed and the Minister should make it a priority that the ICBF will be secure in knowing that this important pillar of its finances is catered for.

See this speech in context