Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I fully welcome and support our motion which asks for specific measures to ensure our Wicklow farm families survive this unprecedented crisis in their ability to keep their heads above water. I visited the protest at Slaney Meats in Bunclody recently and discussed with Wicklow beef farmers the completely unfair trading position that the current meat industry places on the work they do.

Let us be clear about where we are today. There has always been farm protests about various failings in the agribusiness. The demonstrations that have taken place over the past four weeks, however, are unique in the history of modern Irish agriculture and reflect the total failure of the meat industry in Ireland to provide a fair price for one of our most valuable and quality products: top quality Irish beef. I was taken aback to hear from seasoned and very hard-working farmers that they are on the brink of collapse, both physically and mentally, from the strain that they are under.

Let us also be clear that these farm families are trying to cope with the 24/7 challenges of farming, where many have a second job, along with many other difficulties faced by people in rural Ireland such as transport, insurance costs and an increase in bureaucracy and red tape.

These four weeks have been very difficult for the staff of the meat factories and the farmers on the pickets acknowledge that. For these farmers to turn up, day after day, night after night, for at least four hour stints on pickets, while trying to cope with all these other issues in their lives, is having a serious impact on the physical and mental health of many Wicklow farmers.

Rural Wicklow is completely in support of our farming sector. It is not only an irreplaceable economic pillar of Wicklow but the very fabric of rural living is dependent on our farm families.

It is in this context that the deal at the weekend must be the start of a new beginning for Wicklow farmers, not a cynical deal to suit politician agendas or to get farmers off national media headlines at factory gates.

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