Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Similar to other sectors, agriculture, fishing and food production have been heavily impacted by the pandemic and small-scale producers and family businesses, in particular, have felt the effects. It is essential that, as the Minister and his officials plan for recovery, they remain focused on supporting small and locally sustainable businesses, farms and fishing communities, which are too often overlooked. These groups bear the cost of the pandemic, climate change and Brexit, with little benefit from international trade deals. There are three areas about which I want to ask the Minister.

The first is the ongoing issue of Covid clusters in meat plants. These clusters have been some of the worst outbreaks in the country and have had serious impacts on workers in the local communities. While we are all aware of the poor treatment of farmers by this industry before the pandemic, we now have accounts from workers' organisations and unions revealing incredibly poor conditions for workers and a culture that resulted in many workers fearing coming forward. There is an urgent need for immediate reform of the sector. Unfortunately, the industry is still resisting calls for proper sick pay and it had to be pressurised into negotiating with unions. What actions is the Minister taking to address these systemic issues in the sector?

Second, my colleague, Deputy Cairns, highlighted how small-scale fishers have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. These families and communities need basic infrastructure. Too many small piers dotted around our coastline and islands are falling into disrepair and lack basic amenities such as slipways. They urgently need investment to preserve the livelihoods of local families and the practice of truly sustainable fishing. This kind of fishing has existed in rural and coastal Ireland for generations. It is more environmentally friendly and will keep families living on islands and in other coastal areas. Funding for these piers comes from the Minister's Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, through local authorities. What will the Minister do to ensure a more balanced recovery? Will he ensure targeted funding is provided for small piers in particular?

Third, the European Committee of the Regions recently proposed a comprehensive set of measures to foster agro-ecology in the European Union. Agro-ecology reduces the carbon footprint of agriculture, fosters the recovery of biodiversity and increases the economic and social resilience of farms with healthy and accessible food. It represents a type of sustainable agriculture that we need to support in rural areas post Covid. What is the Minister's response to the committee's proposals, especially the development of short supply chains, small-scale processing of agricultural products and the reduction of VAT on organic, local and seasonal products?

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