Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to discuss the important area of the sheep sector. It is something that has been raised on the floor of this House by colleagues from all sides, in fairness, as we all recognise the challenges faced by our sheep farmers this winter and into this spring. I have spoken previously about the significant contribution sheep farming makes to rural Ireland. There are more than 40,000 farmers involved in the sector, producing high-quality lamb which underpinned almost half a billion euro of exports in 2022.

The best demonstration of the sheep sector’s importance is not in farm census or export figures but in our rural towns and villages. Whether it is mart day in Kenmare in Kerry, Tullow in Carlow or Ballinrobe in Mayo, these towns and more like them benefit hugely from a vibrant sheep sector. The money spent by farmers stays in the local economy and generates multiples in economic activity. That is why grass-based production of sheep, along with beef and dairy, will continue to be the bedrock of Irish agrifood output. They are the optimum systems for our climate and land type and support thousands of livelihoods while preserving a unique landscape.

Beef and sheep farming account for most farm enterprises and they are at the heart of social and economic sustainability in rural areas where other economic activity can often be limited. They are also the systems most reliant on direct payments and where economic viability is very often challenging. That is why we have a strong suite of supports for these farms, as the Minister outlined, and why we place a large emphasis on driving improvements in our lowland and upland flocks through investment in research and advisory services. The Minister also outlined this Government’s commitment to supporting the sheep sector through this particularly difficult period, which is due in no small part to the input costs for farmers being so high. We want to continue to support farmers through all these difficulties in the spring, when there are also other challenges like the poor return and low prices for wool.

In the medium to long term, we need a sector that is an attractive proposition for young people. I do not underestimate the scale of that challenge. As Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety, I see the risks associated with an ageing farm population. While sheep farmers account for a low proportion of fatal farm safety incidents, comprising 5% of all incidents, they account for more than a third of non-fatal incidents, which is more than any other farm enterprise. More than half these incidents involved livestock, at 52%, with a further one third or 32% relating to trips and falls. As any sheep farmer will tell you, it is a labour-intensive job and help can often be difficult to source as it is only available at certain times of the week or year.

If we want to maintain flock numbers, we need continued targeting of farm income supports while increasing the return from the marketplace. What every farmer wants is a fair price for their product. We play our part in that by delivering more export opportunities for sheep farmers, like we did in Japan in 2019, as referenced by the Minister, and in the US in 2022, where we have some more work to do in developing that market. The basis on which we grow the value of our sheepmeat exports, like we have done in each of the last three years, is by continuing to promote Irish grass-fed lamb as a premium product nationally and internationally and targeting high potential markets like continental Europe. Our success in gaining and retaining access to international markets is directly related to our excellent reputation for food safety and a high-quality product. That, of course, is one side of the equation. The other is ensuring these gains are passed back to the farm gate.

Alongside creating the office of openness and transparency, we are also well advanced in drafting legislation to give legal recognition to sheep producer organisations, which can strengthen farmers’ positions in the supply chain. That will bring benefits around collectively negotiating on price and inputs as well as payments of €3,000 to cover set-up costs and €30,000 over three years to help cover administration fees. We hope to finalise legislation around this in the second quarter of this year while the early-stage support for producer organisations is expected to be launched in the third quarter of this year. I reaffirm this Government’s support for the sheep sector. We will continue to work with farmers and their representatives in the time ahead.

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