Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I wish both Ministers well. I thank them for their engagement so far. It is only fair that they get the time to settle in. There are a lot of storms on the horizon for them and to judge them on over the next few years.

I brought this first thing to their attention previously and I ask both the Ministers of State, Deputies Healy-Rae and Grealish, to get involved as well. A lot of sheds have been lost during the storm. Will the Department look at that? We are able to do replacement slats so surely we should be able to do replacement roofs. I ask them to look at that.

I know issues in the line of Mercosur are on the horizon. Calf exports are being debated in Europe, as is the nitrates derogation. These are all things we will be facing over the next few months and we have to try to work together on these. The media love kicking the daylights out of farming and agriculture but everyone has to know that they need three meals a day. They might cop on sooner or later and know that they should start respecting farmers, not kicking the daylights out of them. To be quite frank about it, farming is the best life you could have if you could make a good enough living out of it. There is nothing better than going out through cattle or whatever.

We need to take on some allegations that were made about the pig industry. I was a young fella when we had farrowing pens. They are gone. It is a totally different set-up than when I was a young fella. We need to correct the record for the sake of the Dáil and that wrong information is not allowed to be put out about farmers.

On suckler cows, we know we have lost about 250,000 of them. While dairy may work in certain parts of the country, the likes of the land in the west and the north west, where the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, is from, is more suited to either sheep or suckler cows. We need to make sure we keep a floor under that.

The nature restoration law is also coming down the line and we have to make sure we protect farmers. Another thing coming at us are the new drainage rules on peatlands. We have to make sure we look after farmers. We have to try to get young farmers in and have a retirement scheme.

It is not easy at the moment with all the bashing going on to encourage youngsters to go into farming. We must ensure that we put out a positive message in this regard. TB is a problem. We must all work together in trying to resolve it.

I pay tribute to Willie in the ACRES section of the Department. He is retiring today after 40 years. While there are many problems with ACRES, he is the one person you could ring no matter whether it was day or night. After 40 years, he deserves to be respected. We should pay tribute to him for all he has done.

Beyond that, the Minister is coming into an area that looks as if it was struck by a bomb. Many farmers have not been paid. The IT system is fully up and running. In fairness, when I talked to him the other night, the Minister said it was going to take a while to do it. It is going to take some teasing out. We must ensure we bring a bit of confidence back into this area. In Portlaoise, there is a heap of different schemes. No matter what new scheme comes out, the team there is always able to get farmers paid. I have always said that about the people involved. The team in Portlaoise is outstanding. Be it forestry or anything else - other than organic - there seems to be a problem down in Wexford, however. Consideration needs to be given to what is going on or who is calling the shots down there. Ultimately, it is not the civil servant at the bottom but someone up at the top who needs to put the procedures in place.

In forestry, a reconstitution grant was put in place down south in 2016 or 2017. However, we need to help those in forestry who are in trouble now. A heap of it has gone down on the ground. The bottom line is that it needs to be gone within a year. We need either a simple licensing system or just to get the licences out. My fear as regards licences is that there is a cohort of people who believe we should neither plant forestry nor cut it. They will object to everything.

It is great to see the number of youngsters going into agricultural colleges. If we had more land, it would be mighty. I refer to getting more land for youngsters. There is an awful pressure on land as a result of everything that is happening. I hope the Minister and the Minister of State can drive matters on. The veterinary college in Mountbellew is near the Minister of State's home area. I hear that this facility is being pushed out for another year. I hope the Minister and Minister of State can pull something back in respect of that situation.

This is not the time to go kicking new Ministers or Ministers of State; they must be given a chance. I will mark their cards over the next one to four years, if, with the help of God, we are all still here. It is not the time to be rattling now. It is about highlighting the different issues that exist.

Plastics are another issue. The price of rolls of plastic has gone up, as has the price for collection. We have a heap of it in the country. I worry about how we are doing with this in terms of viability, particularly in light of the way it is now.

Turning to women in farming, I do not think this aspect was mentioned here yet. I am talking about speakers other than the Minister. Women in farming is an important issue. Even for us in the Dáil, unless we have someone helping us behind the scenes at home, we would be lost. They should be recognised and helped.

Young farmers need to be brought into the sector as much as possible. I ask the Minister to do one thing. For the next one to three months, be it in the context of ACRES or ordinary farm inspections, I ask him to ensure that inspections are pulled back, because people are in trouble after the hammering the west, the midlands and the north west got.

The prices for cattle, milk and sheep are fairly good at the moment. It is now about trying to retain this position for the time being. I wish the Minister and the Minister of State the best of luck. I also wish the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, well. We will be crossing swords if some of these things are not delivered, but I will work with them all the way.

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