Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I express my support for the stance taken by Government and Ireland with regard to the Ukraine crisis. I applaud what we have done in waiving visa restrictions and allowing Ukrainian people to come here and avail of employment at the earliest opportunity.

I will raise an issue with the Tánaiste that was raised with me. It relates to some vacant property, particularly holiday homes, that people might be of a mind to make available to Ukrainian people. These people are wondering whether it is possible for them to do so without creating tenancy rights or whether they can provide short-term letting arrangements. Perhaps the Government could take a look at this because we have a difficulty with regard to how we are going to accommodate a significant number of Ukrainian refugees.

I will go on to talk about the agriculture and food industry, which has been an indigenous champion of this economy for many years. It is the bulwark of our rural economy and the basis for regional regeneration. My concerns are building. I am reflecting concerns I am hearing that our climate policy appears to be muddled with regard to where we are going with agriculture. It would not be a far stretch to say that potentially there is some confrontation building in public opinion between the agricultural sector and the needs of climate change.

As we are well aware, we have a commodities crisis at the moment, not least because Russia and Ukraine produce almost 30% of the world's wheat, 8% of the world's grain and 60% of the world's sunflower oil between them. All of this is going to feed into primary producer prices and the retail supply prices. As the Tánaiste will know, there is also a significant issue in respect of fertiliser. Russia is by far the largest manufacturer of fertiliser and sanctions are now driving up a price that has already increased by 300% year to date. This will have an effect on productivity and on output and will certainly have an effect on pricing. The farming sector has been raising this issue for some time but little regard has been had to the matter. The increase in prices for energy in May the Government has committed to and the increase in the price of fossil fuels will also put extreme pressure on this sector.

I also highlight to the Tánaiste some issues affecting forestry. Despite the work the Government has done, we are still way behind in processing licences. Almost 70% of licences that are being processed are licences for Coillte, in other words for the State sector, at the expense of looking after rural and regional farmers who have invested in forestry.

I will also bring up the issue of wind energy. We know that a regulatory maritime institution will not be developed for another two years but there is a process ongoing at the moment with regard to an onshore wind development near the south-east coast within 5 km of the shore. No regard seems to have been given to developing this project offshore, as has been done in Scotland. As a Deputy from the south east, I will be in the vanguard in objecting to onshore wind in the UNESCO site in County Waterford. We need to look at developing that facility offshore.

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