Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome to the Visitors Gallery the chairman of Kildare IFA, Mr. Brian Rush, and the Kildare delegation. Farming and the agrifood industry are incredibly important to my county, Kildare, which has 2,618 farms and more than 21,000 beef cattle. Agriculture supports many thousands of jobs directly and indirectly in local shops and communities in County Kildare. The value of the agriculture industry is hugely significant to the economy of rural Kildare. According to the Teagasc data for 2018, average incomes on cattle rearing farms are just over €10,000 per annum. On mixed farms, incomes are just over €15,000. How is any family expected to live on that income, develop their farm, send children to school and college and meet basic household expenditure which we all must meet? Brexit uncertainty and the weakness of sterling have already impacted very negatively on cattle prices and the IFA estimates that a hard Brexit would cost the beef sector up to €800 million annually. We cannot stand idly by while the beef sector is at its wits' end.

Despite assurances from the Minister, I believe firmly not enough is being done. I am proud to stand with my party, in particular Deputies McConalogue and Cahill who have brought forward this Private Members' motion to highlight the urgent need to take action to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers in the beef sector at this time of crisis. We have outlined 14 policy measures that need to be actioned immediately by the Government to meet the severe challenges faced in the sector. The Government must take swift action to safeguard the sector and the rural economy. However, its delivery record to date has been suspect. The Fine Gael-led Government is losing touch with people in rural Ireland and the daily challenges they face. Regrettably, the Government's sense of urgency to date has been sluggish, as demonstrated by the hands-off approach it has taken to enhancing capacity at Cherbourg Port to increase calf exports to the Continent. It is unbelievable the Brexit loan scheme promised for farmers in October 2017, almost a year and a half ago, has yet to open mere days from a hard Brexit.

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