Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I pointed out earlier that the price Irish farmers receive for beef at the factory gate is roughly the same as that received by European farmers at factory gates all across Europe. The average price is roughly the same across Europe and it is lower elsewhere. Commodity prices often work that way because they are set by the market as a function of supply and demand. However, that price is too low. It is well below the cost of production for farmers and that is the underlying problem that has given rise to this dispute and these difficulties.

The Minister has acted. He convened and chaired talks and secured an agreement that will bring about greater transparency, higher premiums, ensure that no legal action will be taken against protestors and that any existing legal action will be removed. The establishment and recognition of producer organisations is now permitted and that is crucial because it will allow farmers to band together and negotiate with meat factories for a proper contract and price. That is what needs to happen next. The agreement reached has been endorsed by the Minister, the meat industry and the six farming organisations that represent the vast majority of farmers. I welcome the fact that the Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Micheál Martin, and Fianna Fáil have endorsed the agreement. I did not hear Sinn Féin endorse the agreement. I hope it will do so because if Sinn Féin wants the 3,500 workers who Deputy McDonald mentioned to get back to work, the factories need to reopen.

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