Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be as brief as possible, if I may. As I did not have an opportunity earlier, I will take this time to thank all of our front-line workers who are fighting Covid-19. I thank our healthcare workers, the workers in supermarkets and other essential shops that are open, our gardaí and members of the Defence Forces and, in particular, the farmers who are producing the food in our supermarkets that we are now buying and which many of us are probably cooking at home for the first time in a long time.

Many could be forgiven for thinking that everything is fine because our farmers are farming, food is on the shelves and people are eating it. That is simply not the case. The Minister has outlined several things that have had a significant impact, not just on beef but also on dairy and across the entire sector. Exports and prices are down. Farming is at the mercy of weather, global markets, prices and demand at the best of times. As we can see, all of these have been hit in the perfect storm.

I ask that the Minister continues to prioritise the beef sector as he has outlined. We can provide this sector with financial support at home and through our European colleagues and the European Commission. The beef task force has been mentioned. It has been raised with me by many farmers. While they might not be able to meet in person, the Minister has said he has spoken to all of them. We had started the process of setting out a roadmap for the beef sector. Now more than ever we need to continue in that regard.

I commend the Minister on leading the charge and getting all 26 member states to sign his response to the Commission's initial package. Can he outline the most recent response he has received from the Commissioner?

What additional supports have been put in place in the context of farm safety? There are now a lot of children and others at home who would not normally be there. The last thing we want as we enter the summer months is more farm accidents.

Has the Minister had any conversations with representatives of the large supermarkets or retailers? Several fruit and vegetable growers have said to me that they are now being asked to sell at a greatly reduced price. At this moment, we should really be supporting local producers.

Finally I refer to climate, something that is very much on the agenda where farming is concerned. Whether it is a 3% or 7% target, farmers have always been and always will be custodians of our land. They are the ones who have protected it and will continue to protect it. We must work with them to set out a pathway to doing that. Last September we started the process of setting out a roadmap that would help us to achieve the targets set by the Joint Committee on Climate Action. Could the Minister provide an update in that regard? If the target is increased to 7%, how will that impact on the overall plan?

See this speech in context