Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Jackie Cahill and Michael Moynihan. I welcome the opportunity to speak in the Dáil today. It is important that we address the need for additional support for the agricultural sector because, unfortunately, the response so far has not recognised the pressure that agriculture and farmers are under, particularly the pressure that the beef sector has experienced. The response at Commission level has been totally insufficient. There is significant market disturbance in place. Farmers, in particular beef farmers, are losing money. Finishers are losing up to €250 per head. There needs to be a real and immediate response to that.

I want to raise some issues which I ask the Minister to address in the five minutes allocated to me. He mentioned marts.

I understand that additional standard operating procedures have been submitted to the Department in recent days that would allow the auction aspect of marts to continue, while significantly restricting any access to the mart. Access would be restricted specifically to buyers, which would facilitate additional competition regarding what has been going on, and at which marts have been doing their best over the last period of time. Those procedures make sense. What is the Minister doing to further them? I would like a prompt answer.

The processing sector faces potentially significant challenges. We have seen some challenges in recent days and weeks in the management of Covid-19 within the processing sector, and there is a real risk of potential clusters. Can the Minister update us on any clusters the Department is aware of? What steps is the Department taking to ensure the processing sector is supported? The health and safety of staff is paramount and they are carrying out essential work in the food supply chain, ensuring the throughput of stock and product over the period ahead.

Proposals have been made for a temporary cessation package for the marine sector. What is the Government doing to support our fishing sector?

Finally, I refer to an issue which crosses over between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, that is, the farm assist payment and the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment being made available to farmers. Although it is the direct responsibility of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, it is affecting farmers across the country. Can the Minister give an update on the eligibility of farmers for the Covid-19 payment and farm assist being topped up, at a minimum, to the level of the Covid-19 payment?

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