Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Beef farmers are under phenomenal pressure. My colleagues and I have raised this issue with the Minister repeatedly and it is well known across the country. Average incomes are between €12,000 and €13,000, which is just not sustainable. Farmers are producing beef for about €4 a kilogram, while they are getting €3.75 to €3.85 a kilogram in return. That cannot last. They do not believe their needs are being addressed by the Minister. They are under phenomenal pressure and although they are reaching out looking for support, the Government does not seem to be delivering for them.

There is a move away from suckler cows. We have seen this in my area, for example, in Macroom, where some 1,100 suckler cows have left the mart area in the last while. The reason is farmers believe they cannot make money on them. They are even under pressure if they try to expand and make ground against the milk farmer. When people are pushed out of beef farming, it means that there is less money circulating locally. Every euro the Minister or other Ministers provided in support generated €4 in the rural economy, but that money is going to be pushed out if support is not provided for farmers. We have highlighted the figure of €200 repeatedly, but all they are getting is about €40. I say "about €40" because the figure can change, depending on the number of cattle in the beef environmental efficiency pilot, BEEP, scheme. It needs to be much more substantial. The Minister needs to work towards that end.

On the issue of lairage, it should have been foreseen well back last year that there would be a bottleneck.

It should have been addressed much more quickly so that it did not become a bottleneck. Tá fíorbhrú ar fheirmeoirí mairteola agus caithfear an beart a dhéanamh ar a shon. Mar sin, iarraim ar an Aire gníomh ar son fheirmeoirí mairteola go tapaidh.

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