Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Hogan recently warned of unsustainable levels of milk production and suggested that Ireland is sleepwalking towards massive EU emission fines. When he speaks about emission fines, he means that we are producing too many cows. Cows produce carbon emissions. They fart a lot and the methane destroys the atmosphere. We need to take note of that. We must start thinking globally about what sort of food and agriculture policies are needed to amend this situation not just to deal with climate change, but also to deal with the daily reality faced by small and medium-sized farmers in this country, as described by the ICMSA. The people we need to assist tonight are not the big guys who are being looked after by the Minister and his Government colleagues, but the small farmers who are being crucified by the fodder crisis, climate change and the reality of having to deal with policies that do not serve them well.

See this speech in context