Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputies will be aware, the inaugural meeting of beef task force scheduled for Monday, 14 October had to be suspended following events outside Agriculture House. Members of the task force were prevented from attending the meeting and were subject to physical violence and intimidation. Members of staff of my Department were also subjected to abusive and threatening behaviour. While I fully support the rights of individuals to engage in peaceful protest, I hope Deputies will agree that there are no excuses for the behaviour which occurred on Monday. It was completely unacceptable. I thank departmental staff who managed the situation in a calm and professional manner.

As I have previously stated, it is in the interests of everyone involved in the beef industry that the work of the task force goes ahead. The independent chair and my Department officials are continuing to consult stakeholders with a view to progressing key elements of the agreement. The task force's remit is to monitor the implementation of the actions arising from the agreement reached on 15 September and offers the most viable platform for strategic engagement with key stakeholders. The agreement involves a number of interventions which will provide immediate benefit for beef producers, as well as a range of strategic measures which seek to address structural imbalances in the sector. Beef producers will benefit from an immediate increase in a range of bonuses. This will increase the level of bonus being paid on certain animals, as well as significantly increasing the number of animals which will be eligible for a bonus. The cumulative effect is that more than 70% of all steer and heifers slaughtered will now be eligible for a bonus on top of the basic price.

A number of actions in the area of market transparency, beef promotion and strengthening the position of the farmer in the supply chain are included in the agreement. These measures set a course towards greater clarity for all stakeholders. The Department is also proactively engaging with several potential beef producer organisations which have the potential to strengthen the bargaining power of beef farmers in the supply chain. Two beef producer organisations have been formally recognised in recent weeks.

We established the beef market task force to provide the leadership to develop a sustainable pathway for the future of the beef sector in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability. The intention was that the task force should provide a robust implementation structure for commitments entered into in the agreement, with timelines and stakeholder engagement. I urge all parties to make every effort to ensure that this important work can commence.

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