Dáil debates

Wednesday, 16 June 2021

Common Agricultural Policy: Statements

 

2:52 pm

Photo of James O'ConnorJames O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Deputy Cathal Crowe is unable to attend the debate as he is at a meeting of the transport committee to discuss aviation. I am glad to have an opportunity to talk about some of the very significant changes that are coming down the line in terms of the CAP. I speak as somebody from a community that has greatly benefited from the current CAP. We must acknowledge that Ireland is a country with a range of different farming needs. Constituencies such as the Minister's in Donegal is miles apart, from both a topography and agriculture point of view, from my constituency of Cork East, where there is a great deal of intensive agriculture on which thousands of livelihoods are based. In my constituency, the sector includes people working in a primary role as farmers as well as those involved in the production of dairy produce. In fact, the dairy sector in Cork East is far and above one of the most developed in the country. I am thinking also of neighbouring constituencies like County Waterford, which is over the bridge from Youghal, where I am from, County Tipperary to the north, as well as counties Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford and Kildare. Agricultural activity in those places is poles apart from the situation in parts of the northern section of the country.

From my perspective, it is important to give the Minister an outline of the grassroots situation in my constituency, based on what people have been telling me and what I know is coming down the line as a result of the changes in convergence. The honest truth is that it is not good. I am gobsmacked today to hear one Sinn Féin Deputy after another slamming the Government on the requirement for 100% convergence. Do they have any idea or clue of the effect that would have on the provinces of Munster and Leinster? It would be devastating for people working in dairy farming and tillage. I see Deputy Carthy is smiling. He is a disgrace and what was said is absolutely outrageous.

To be fair to the Minister, he is new to his job. I very much look forward to getting him down to my constituency. He needs to hear the effect the CAP reforms will have on farmers at a grassroots level in my community and constituency. I grew up on a dairy farm and am one of the few people in Dáil Éireann about whom I can confidently say that our weekends at home involve milking cows. I am extremely worried about the reforms that will be contained within what the European Commission is currently looking at implementing.

I want to use my time to speak about some of the other aspects of what is going on in regard to CAP reforms. On sustainability, it is critically important that if we are going to be forcing climate measures on farmers in this country, that we also reward them effectively for the good work they can do in terms of boosting biodiversity. There are also possibilities in terms of energy generation on farmers' lands. We must look at addressing comprehensively the crisis we are currently going through in the area of forestry. Anybody working in the forestry industry will tell the Minister that Ireland is miles from where it needs to be compared with our European colleagues in terms of the production of timber and, from a biodiversity point of view, coverage of timber. We are far behind where we need to be in that regard. Perhaps the Government should look at this issue before forcing fines, additional inspections and new measures around biodiversity and climate sustainability on ordinary farmers. They are already under enough stress.

Regarding energy generation, I have made the point before that I am very fortunate to have had a bit of experience working in energy. Farmers in this country are huge users of energy, including electricity. Looking at the role of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, is one mechanism, through the Minister's Department, by which we might further advance microgeneration. This is an issue we spoke about when we were trying to form a Government. We need to see whether there are possibilities for farmers to get seriously involved in selling energy back to the grid. The people of rural Ireland would much prefer to get their electricity on a local basis through microgeneration than to be blighted by large wind farms that destroy the countryside and should all be offshore. I feel very strongly on this particular issue.

I am interested in the Minister's reply to my points about microgeneration and forestry. I am leaving him approximately three minutes to come back on those particular points and what he plans to do to address the issues. I hope he acknowledges my comments as those of someone from a different part of the country from him and coming from a very different perspective in terms of the dairy industry, which we do not hear enough about in this House.

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