Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to be brief, as Deputy Gallagher has tabled an important question on penalty points for fishermen that we would like to have answered within time as well.

The Minister is coming up with every reason as to why support cannot be forthcoming and is not considering the matter from the point of view of ensuring that the supports required to sustain our suckler herd are put in place.

Regarding Mercosur, the Minister has indicated in response to parliamentary questions that the figure on the table is 70,000 tonnes and that his focus is on ensuring that it does not increase further. It will have an impact on our beef trade. In return for that, surely the Minister, when engaging with his European counterparts, should be determining what additional supports can be acquired so that our suckler and beef herds are protected and sustained. Something must be done. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is overseeing a situation in which people are getting out of suckler beef farming and suckler cows are being sold. It behoves him to turn his attention to what types of support can be put in place to sustain the herd and to keep people in family farming.

See this speech in context