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

The points raised by Deputy O'Donoghue illustrate some of the other challenges we face in this sector. At its heart is the challenge relating to succession. Income is also a key issue - the income the next generation of young male and female farmers can expect to attain. It feeds into their decision as to whether they want to take on the farm or not. That is why Food Vision 2030, our overall guiding stakeholder-led strategy, is focused on: improving the competitiveness and productivity of primary producers; increasing the creation of value and distributing it fairly; introducing greater diversification in production systems and incomes; and improving the social sustainability of primary producers across areas such as generational renewal, gender balance, health and safety, mental health and well-being, and wider rural development.

All of us on the ministerial team in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine will continue to engage with our stakeholders to ensure the long-term economic, environmental and social sustainability of the sector.

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