Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies McConalogue and Cahill for bringing forward this motion. This is a wage negotiation for farmers. Can the Minister of State imagine if workers involved in negotiations with their employers could not discuss their remuneration and a deal was done that did not address the wage issue? That highlights the frustration felt by farmers. Successive Deputies have spoken about the inconsistencies in base pricing throughout the country. That matter must be resolved. It goes to the heart of the lack of confidence and transparency. One of the most important elements of the deal agreed at the weekend involves the setting up of a task force to address the beef industry. The Minister needs to get that established immediately and to appoint somebody of credibility, whose stature is respected on all sides, to be the lead person in dealing with that task force and setting its work. That could engender the confidence that is needed. Transparency in respect of the base price extends to so many parts of the industry, not only to processing but also to the rendering and other areas.

Other issues also arise. When I was at the National Ploughing Championships yesterday, I was struck by the very up-to-date marketing in which the National Dairy Council is involved whereby it engages on Instagram and other social media platforms. If we consider the range of dairy products that have become available in recent years and how they have evolved to suit demand, we would note that beef products have not evolved to suit demand. In terms of beef marketing, we tell ourselves we have the best product in the world and we keep shouting about that but we must market it in a manner that is relevant to the 21st century. If we do that, we will increase the base line.

The Tánaiste was in this Department. He knows of the lack of trust that exists. How can this deal be sold at the factory gates when people who are trying to sell the deal have been threatened with legal action for being at those gates selling the deal? That is what has happened today, four days after the deal was done. That is wrong. It will not create the atmosphere we need to get this deal through. MII has to be called out and asked to allow a little space for this deal to grow and for people to reflect and see what it involves. That will build a type of confidence. The Minister cannot any longer continue to stick his head in the sand and hope this will go away. We are here now because he has had six months warning about this issue. Deputy McConalogue has been raising it for a very long time but the Minister ignored it. We cannot do that any longer. We must move quickly and in a way that builds confidence and shines a light on the practices in the industry.

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