Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Covid-19 crisis has brought another huge pressure onto primary producers and farmers. Usually when we talk about the pressure on farmers' incomes, it is due to over-supply, but this time it is due to a significant drop in consumption. The European Commission's response so far has been totally inadequate. An allocation of €75 million for all sectors is a drop in the ocean of what is required. It equates to €8 per European farmer. To give a comparison, when dairy prices were under pressure in 2016, €560 million was allocated for dairy supports. This package only proposes €30 million. In 2019, there was a €100 million package for beef farmers. While we failed to distribute some of that to the hard-pressed beef farmers, €100 million was allocated. Unfortunately, in the spring of 2020, prices are even worse. Beef finishers need financial support immediately.

Otherwise, they will not be there in the next back end to buy the young stock that will be coming on sale from suckler and store farm producers.

The health of our community is paramount, but food comes a close second. It is an essential for all people. Food security, the basis on which CAP was formed, has to be part of the new CAP negotiations. To ensure food security, food for European consumers must be provided by European farmers. This was the basis of CAP previously and proper price supports used to be in place for the European farmer, but that is not the case now and CAP has dropped down the list of priorities on the EU's agenda. That has to change.

The Minister might refer to advanced dates for payments, but that is money already committed. The current drop in prices is being caused by a drop in consumption. We need a properly funded and flexible aid to private storage scheme, APS, to deal with that. There are already forecasts of food shortages in the US and other parts of the world in the back end of 2020. With a properly funded APS, we would then have steaks, dairy products and sheep meat to meet that shortfall. Beef finishers are in a separate category and must get financial support immediately.

Flexibility in schemes' dates is essential in this unprecedented year. The farmers involved in the nitrates derogation need flexibility. The stocking criterion to qualify for the beef exceptional aid measure, BEAM, payment must be scrapped. Stocking rate requirements for areas of national conservation, for example, must be flexible. Inspections being postponed cannot be used as an excuse for the slow payment of grants or scheme funding. I want the Department to consider the system that operates at marts in Northern Ireland with a view to determining whether it can operate in the South.

A point has been raised with me by a few of our urban Deputies, namely, that many urban dwellers do not have access to allotments. Such allotments are usually 25 m wide. As such, social distancing could be operated there easily. They would do as much for people's enjoyment as for providing food for their tables. Mental health was discussed during the debate with the Minister for Health. Providing access to allotments would be another avenue for people in urban areas to exercise and help their mental well-being.

The Minister, Deputy Creed, mentioned forestry. Stakeholders in forestry are still unhappy with the issuing of licences. They predict that we will only plant 3,500 ha of forestry this year, which is less than half the target.

Other countries on the Continent and across the water are discussing resuming horse and greyhound racing behind closed doors. Where are our discussions as regards those two sports?

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