Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister said, we have 80,000 suckler farms. They are a crucial economic driver in many rural communities. They are not the most profitable but they are often the most economically impactful. Before considering any suckler reduction scheme, will the Minister commit to considering the potential impact that such a scheme would have on the land mobility service by driving up the price of remaining agricultural land and what that could do for generational renewal? Will he ensure a full audit of factory-controlled feedlots and strive for a reduction within that cohort, which has experienced a 52% increase since 2017 and could hit 400,000 this year before targeting small suckler farms? Crucially, will he commit to carry out a full socioeconomic impact assessment before any scheme is introduced?

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