Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Más féidir liom, i dtús báire, gabhaim mo chomhghairdeas leat as a bheith tofa inné agus tá súil agam go mbeidh gach rud déanta duitse chun meas a thabhairt don Chathaoir sa Teach seo, chomh mór is a bheidh leis an gCeann Comhairle í féin freisin. Ar an ábhar sin, maidir le mo chomhghleacaithe, na hAirí nua, ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil leo freisin, go háirithe mo chomhghleacaí Fhine Gael, an Teachta Martin Heydon. Táim ag tnúth go mór leis an obair a bheidh le déanamh acu, an bheirt agaibh, ach go háirithe ag an Aire, an Teachta Heydon.

There is no disputing the importance of the agrifood sector in the Irish context. More than 170,000 people were employed directly or indirectly in the agrifood sector in 2022, which is a substantial portion of total employment in this country, across 135,000 farms, and there were 2,000 fishing vessels and aquaculture sites. The gross value added at factor cost in the agrifood sector in 2022 was €18.3 billion. I do not think anyone in this House would be in any doubt about the value of the sector and the importance of the sector to our economy, but also the importance of sector to communities throughout this country.

I stand before the House as a TD for Dún Laoghaire, which is not known necessarily for its agricultural output. Although there are farms in Dún Laoghaire, people somehow deny that. There are many farms in the south west of the constituency, in particular around Ballyman, The Scalp and Murphy's Lane, which is named after the Murphy farm. There are lots of farms and farmers in my constituency. In fact many people are not just engaged in farming in Dún Laoghaire but working in farming-related industries. The farms may not be in Dún Laoghaire but those workers live in Dún Laoghaire. There is no constituency in this country, even the most urban, that is not affected by agriculture and that aspect of the economy.

As a Dublin TD and a person from Dublin there is sometimes a sniggering regard in relation to how much I might or might not know about agriculture. I have no doubt that there are colleagues of mine sitting in their offices in the House today greatly amused at the fact that I am standing up here to speak about the importance of the agrifood sector. There is also the issue that when you are around the country and you tell somebody you are from Dublin they assume you do not know what is beyond the M50. I am sure that is true of some people but it is not true of me. I have worked in agriculture. I have worked on farms here and in France. I worked for a long time within the Department of agriculture as a prosecutor for animal welfare issues under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which was brought in by my colleague, the then Minister, Simon Coveney. It is hugely important legislation that deals with abuse of animals on farms in particular. Perhaps the greatest application of it relates to the failure to look after agricultural animals, particularly livestock and those protected species. In addition, there is my family background. I am only one generation in Dublin and my family were drystock farmers in east Galway. There are very few people in Dublin who are very far away from the land. Most people in Dublin, or in other cities around the country, come from a farming background at some point in their family and have people in their family who are farming. I am a member of the Irish Farmers Association, which might surprise some people as well.

The point I make is that, irrespective of what part of the country you come from, agriculture is your responsibility. Irrespective whether you are an urban TD or a rural TD, agriculture matters and it matters to you. The important aspect is that we have not just a tremendously vibrant agricultural sector but a sector that delivers for this country across the board. The quality of food in this country is extraordinary. When you go abroad, the comparison with the freshness of our food is noticeable. There are so many farms in this country that are small family holdings delivering extremely high-quality food products whether that is beef, milk or arable or whatever it might be. As we go into next month, we know that from Boston to Berlin to Beijing Irish agricultural products, be they meat, dairy, vegetables or grains, will be adorning the tables not just of embassies but of events throughout the world.

All of that agricultural output comes from the hard work and sweat of individual families around this country. Let us remember that the agriculture sector very often involves a family endeavour and not just one farmer. It is all of the people around that person who work on the farm. It is the family and the children of that family who are all engaged in the work of the farm. It is something we can be hugely proud of. The real danger is that we forget how important and fragile it is. As I said at the start, it is connected into communities around the country. Communities survive because of those farming families, because of those small farms and because of all the jobs and revenue they generate in that local community as a result.

When we look at farming around the world, and particularly at our neighbours in Europe - we should remember that much of the agriculture in Europe is supported by subsidies from the European Union - they generally have a much more industrialised style of farming. The Irish model of farming is much more carbon-efficient for starters, with grass-fed beef and so on. It is worth acknowledging the amount of work done by Teagasc in coming up with plans for reducing emissions, particularly from dairy herds, as well as the new swards it has developed that reduce emissions, and the projects it put in place to manage the lifespan of a beast that is going to be slaughtered to reduce its overall emissions. All of these things represent enormous progress in making farming sustainable and less damaging to the environment.

The real danger is that we forget what this industry sector represents for our country. We may look at other countries and say, "Well they have a much more intensive farming model and it is, therefore, much more efficient and much more economically viable," or whatever it might be. To say that is to forget what small farms deliver for communities all over this country. That is perhaps central. As important as the agrifood sector is to our economy - I mentioned some of the figures at the start - what it produces for communities and for small towns and villages throughout this country is of equal importance from the point of view of its sustainability.

As an urban representative within this House, the responsibility for promoting and sustaining agriculture and ensuring it is viable into the future is a responsibility of every Member of this House, irrespective of whether you live in a three-bedroom semi-detached house in a suburb or an apartment in a city or a farmhouse in the country. Every one of us must take responsibility for acknowledging the importance that agriculture plays in this country's economy, in our individual lives and in the food that goes onto our table. The quality of that food is not accidental. It comes from the hard work of farmers. It is all too often easy for those of us who represent urban areas to step back and say, "I do not have many farmers in my constituency," or, "Farming is not a big business in my constituency." Even if that is true, and I do not accept it is true of any constituency, we have a responsibility as Members of this House and representatives of the people of this country to ensure that the agrifood sector is sustained, promoted and supported at Government level, throughout local government and at all the different levels of government within this country . That applies equally to those of us from Dublin and Cork as it does to those from country constituencies.

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