Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 18, inclusive, together.

Issues relevant to agriculture are discussed, as required, at a number of Cabinet committees, including the Cabinet committee on economic recovery and investment, which last met on 27 May, and the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change, which last met on 31 May 2021 and is scheduled to meet again on 1 July 2021.

The agriculture sector is the largest indigenous industry in the country and it has a key role to play in the economic and social vibrancy of our towns, villages and rural communities, as well as in achieving our decarbonisation targets for 2030 and 2050. It plays a critical role in Irish society and the economy and Government works with all stakeholders on key agricultural issues. These include: development of the agrifood strategy - this is a commitment in the programme for Government and it will set out a vision for the Irish agrifood sector up to 2030; Ireland's priorities in the renegotiation of the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP; and supporting the fisheries and agricultural sectors to deal with the effects of Brexit. As with all policy areas, agricultural issues are regularly discussed at full Government meetings and that is where all formal decisions are made.

In addition to meetings of the Cabinet and its committees, I regularly meet Ministers, including the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to discuss particular issues. In the context of the extension and expansion of social dialogue, I recently had a useful meeting, along with the Tánaiste, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and various officials, with a range of farming bodies representing the agricultural pillar. We discussed the full range of issues pertaining to Irish agriculture and the range of challenges it faces, from the CAP right across to the climate agenda, energy efficiency measures and a range of other issues that the farming organisations raised with us. The larger Irish Farmers Association, IFA, and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA, were represented, as were other smaller organisations that represent rural farmers and farmers in specialised areas. Macra na Feirme, which has particular perspectives on young farmers and the need for progressive policies to facilitate young farmers to thrive in the sector, was also involved.

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