Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move:

"That Dáil Éireann:

notes that:— Fine Gael has been in Government for eight years;

— during that period of time, the beef sector has experienced regular levels of price volatility and insufficient levels of Government support in the pursuit of processor price transparency;

— this is contrary to commitments outlined in the Programme for a Partnership Government, which in 2016 recognised that market volatility and a fair return from the market place are ongoing concerns for the industry;

— the Programme for a Partnership Government also committed to introducing a framework for Producer Organisations (POs) and the development of POs in the beef sector, to ensure farmers are not just price takers;

— the aim of these commitments was to maintain a strong and viable suckler herd as a key priority;

— failure to realise these commitments has significantly and adversely impacted the capacity of the agri-sector to maintain a thriving contribution to rural development;

— in the medium- to long-term, rural development will continue to be under threat due to an avoidable destabilisation of the beef sector export market caused by the delay in realising commitments provided for in the Programme for a Partnership Government;

— the Food Wise 2025 strategy recognised the vital role of the agri-food sector in driving forward rural development; and

— the Food Wise 2025 strategy also recognised that the agri-food sector encompasses the landscape, history and personality of the country with everything from primary agriculture to food and beverage production, from fisheries and fish processing to forestry and forestry outputs, and its strategic importance to the Irish economy, its roots in local communities and its global reach make it a sector unlike any other;recognises the agreement reached between Meat Industry Representatives and Farm Organisations entitled ‘Irish Beef Sector Agreement, September 15, 2019’; and

calls on the Government to:— lay out a clear pathway toward avoiding the deepening of threats to rural development by honouring the commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government with respect to introducing a framework for POs and the development of POs;

— explore the merits of introducing a system of fixed-price contracts for beef producers in order to diminish the price volatility experienced by farmers;

— renew commitments provided for in the Charter for Rural Ireland and the report of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA), which outlined a vision for rural Ireland that saw a ‘dynamic, adaptable and outward looking multi-sectoral economy supporting vibrant, resilient and diverse communities experiencing a high quality of life with an energised relationship between rural and urban Ireland which will contribute to its sustainability for the benefit of society as a whole’; and

— commit to establish a standing committee capable of facilitating an immediate crossdepartmental response framework to any agri-food crisis which may emerge, and which is likely to negatively impact rural development and the agri-food sector.”

See this speech in context