Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

The average annual income for farmers at the moment is €8,000, which is below the State pension and below jobseeker's payment. It works out at about €4 an hour. Teagasc estimates that about a third of farmers make a living from the farm, another third of farmers are only making a living because they are working off the farm, and a third of farmers are fully in poverty and in debt.

In September, Deputy Deering, the Fine Gael Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and Marine, said it was unreasonable for farmers to expect a price that would cover the cost of production. In what other sector of society does the Government think it would be unreasonable to expect a price that would cover the cost of the delivery of its service?

The Taoiseach said yesterday that the Government has no charge over the price of beef. A leaving certificate economic student could tell him that the Government controls the structure of the market and the structure of the market has a massive influence on the price of beef. Given that farming equals poverty for so many, does the Taoiseach not agree that the position of the Minister, Deputy Creed, is now untenable?

See this speech in context