Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Táim ag roinnt ama. Beidh deich mbomaite agam agus cúig bhomaite ag an Teachta Mac Lochlainn. I welcome the opportunity to discuss issues related to agriculture, particularly as they pertain to the many family farmers across the country who are incredibly fearful for what the future may hold and who are still wondering what the full outworking of the twin challenges of Covid and Brexit will be.

Many people, even beyond the farming community, have looked on aghast at how our meat factories have dealt with the threat of Covid-19. Were it not so serious I would have chuckled to myself when the Minister said there was no room for complacency with regard to addressing the issues pertaining to the processing sector. I contend that complacency has been the hallmark of our approach to the very real concerns with regard not only to how workers are treated and the conditions in which they operate, but also the wider impact. We know, because we have evidence and have seen it at first hand, that when outbreaks occur in meat processing factories, they have very serious repercussions for the wider community if they are not tackled and addressed very early. It is particularly important, as we once again see the numbers in respect of community transmission finally reducing, that we do not repeat what has happened at least twice, which is that we have allowed the good work of citizens to be undermined by allowing outbreaks and clusters in meat factories to get out of control. Why is there not an easily accessible resource to allow people to see where outbreaks are occurring and how they are being tackled? Communities are relying on media reports to find out whether their meat factory has had an outbreak.

The Minister has mentioned serial testing. He talked about six rounds of serial testing. Any of the clusters reported publicly, and we can only rely on those public reports, have shown that, when serial testing has identified cases, it has identified them in significant numbers. This shows that the serial testing in place is not working and that there is too much of a lag between one set of tests and the next. Why are meat factories not asked to carry out regular serial testing of workers as they enter the plants to allow individual cases to be traced and isolated? If this were done, everybody would win. The factories could continue their work without fear of outbreaks.

Last July, the national outbreak control team recommended that sampling be carried out at the locations of future outbreaks. In six months, the Minister's Department has managed to carry out a single pilot study. The Minister is now refusing to release that study. He cites commercial sensitivity although we know the report has been shared with other meat factories. This is precisely the type of action that raises concerns. The national outbreak control team also recommended that legislation be enacted to allow Government to shut down meat processing factories. That public health advice has been disregarded.

Since the new year, there have been many new confirmed outbreaks at meat plants in several locations, which is again fuelling anxiety in local communities. Despite this, the only new funding that will go directly into people's pockets that the Minister has announced since January was €100 million in capital investment which will go directly to the meat processing plants. Is the Minister putting any conditions on that funding with regard to how the meat factories treat their workers and the farmers who rely on them?

The Brexit adjustment reserve was mentioned. Many plaudits have been paid for the €1 billion we may potentially secure. Does the Minister have a figure for the amount of this €1 billion that will go to Irish family farmers, considering that it was their stories and the threat Brexit presented to them specifically that strengthened Ireland's case in arguing for such a high level of funding?

In the coming weeks, will the Minister be introducing new funding for those family farmers who need it most, as opposed to rebranded funding under the beef environmental efficiency programme sucklers, BEEP-S, scheme? As I say, we have seen lots of rebranded funding but the only new funding for farmers is the beef finishers payment, which amounts to half what was given to the meat factories through the investment I mentioned. Suckler farmers have not received any new funding stream. Is the Minister planning to introduce any?

I also have questions with regard to the need to regulate the meat industry. The Minister knows my position, which is that we should have an independent beef regulator which would actually have teeth and which would be able to observe what is happening within the cartel which determines the prices factories pay. Such a regulator would also be able to stop unfair practices, including nonsensical rules such as the four-movement or 30-month rules. In response, the Minister has said that he will instead put forward a proposal for a national food ombudsman. We do not yet know what teeth such an ombudsman would have. If it is to be just another quango without specific powers to curtail the actions of the meat factories, it will count for nothing.

Many who listened to the Minister when he was in opposition would have thought he felt strongly about the issue of Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, reform. In January of last year, when speaking to the then Minister in the Dáil he described the stalling of convergence as not acceptable. He has since outlined that he will not proceed with convergence during the transition period. That is extremely disappointing, particularly for farmers in his own county, the vast majority of whom would be better off with convergence. There is an imbalance and unfairness at the heart of the CAP. Most farmers are struggling to make ends meet yet a small number of corporate entities are drawing down very significant levels of funding.

Is the Minister up to ensuring there is a front-loaded per hectare payment that would include specific supports like the suckler support scheme for which Sinn Féin advocates for those sectors that need it? Most of all, is he committed to and will he accept an upper limit cap on the payments that any individuals or corporate entities can receive and is he up for the sort of CAP reform that will see a redistribution of payments to those farmers who need it most?

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