Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also commend an tAire for bringing this Bill to the House. I am sure many people watching on will not be sorry to see the end of fur farming in this State. It is a practice that has faced opposition for many years now and finally the days of fur farming and the slaughter of these animals for their skin is coming to an end.

The existence of these types of farms has not settled well with me so I will not mourn the loss of fur farms in the State. Indeed, Sinn Féin as a party has been opposed to the farming of mink since the 2007 Ard-Fheis so we will be supporting this Bill. However, like any enterprise, fur farms are businesses which employ people and which have been invested in and that is what we must take note of when analysing this Bill. We are talking about legislation that will introduce a prohibition on a type of business, in this case fur farming. These are businesses nonetheless and jobs will be lost and livelihoods and families will be affected. Like any other sector, we must examine how the issues of compensation and recompense will be organised for workers. Can the Department detail any progress that has been made on the issue of statutory redundancy and does it foresee anything above statutory redundancy being provided? Where are we on the request for a retraining fund for staff to be put in place? Given the change the workers will experience in their work life as a result of this, it is only right that such training be provided for, as has been said already.

When this matter was discussed at the agriculture committee, I enquired as to the cost that would be involved in removing asbestos roofs which we were told will have to be dealt with. Will an tAire give us any indication of whether that has been addressed? As I recall, during the sector's appearance at the committee it was claimed that two out of the three farms have asbestos in their buildings. At the time of the committee discussion, we were told the Department is looking at a cap of €50 per square metre. I said then that I worked for 35 years in that business and to talk about €50 to get rid of asbestos is to be in dreamland. It will not cover the cost. Someone, be it the Department or the industry itself, is being asked to take the cost. Can the Department confirm whether it is sticking to that figure and if the additional costs will be included in the asbestos removal? There is also the cost of transportation and disposal, which cannot take place in this country, to take into account.

On the same issue, has the Department engaged with the relevant local authorities regarding an assessment of the possible environmental impact the demolition of the structures concerned may have? This had not been the case at the time this matter was discussed at the committee. If this has been done, what was the outcome of those talks? The committee also witnessed a divergence of opinion between the Department and fur farmers over how the compensation scheme would be designed and whether it would factor in a dip in the market the stakeholders claimed had been experienced between 2015 and 2020. Do we have an update on that?

I will ask about the overall future of this industry. Given that we are banning the fur industry in Ireland, is there any intention, or have any plans been made, to tackle the industry in general? By this I mean dealing with the importation of fur of this nature. Does the Department also intend to ban fur for importation or does our opposition to the practice end with the banning of the industry here?

I support this Bill and welcome the fact that fur farming in this country has been prohibited. I note it makes provision to also ban fur farming that does not currently occur in Ireland involving other animals, with significant penalties for those who engage in it. The workers affected will need to be assisted through this change and it is important the Department treats them fairly and appropriately.

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