Dáil debates

Thursday, 26 September 2019

Agriculture: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]

 

The following motion was moved by Deputy Charlie McConalogue on Tuesday, 18 September 2019:

Debate resumed on amendment No. 2:

1:20 pm

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the Fianna Fáil motion on agriculture. On Tuesday, 18 September, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to," a division was claimed. In accordance with Standing Order 70(2), that division must be taken now.

Amendment put:

The Dáil divided: Tá, 38; Níl, 84; Staon, 0.


Tellers: Tá, Deputies Seán Kyne and Tony McLoughlin; Níl, Deputies Michael Moynihan and John Lahart.

Maria Bailey, Seán Barrett, Colm Brophy, Richard Bruton, Peter Burke, Catherine Byrne, Seán Canney, Joe Carey, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Simon Coveney, Michael Creed, Michael D'Arcy, Pat Deering, Andrew Doyle, Bernard Durkan, Alan Farrell, Charles Flanagan, Brendan Griffin, Martin Heydon, Heather Humphreys, Seán Kyne, Josepha Madigan, Finian McGrath, Tony McLoughlin, Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Kevin Moran, Eoghan Murphy, Hildegarde Naughton, Tom Neville, Michael Noonan, Kate O'Connell, Patrick O'Donovan, Fergus O'Dowd, John Paul Phelan, Michael Ring, Noel Rock, Shane Ross, David Stanton.

Níl

Gerry Adams, Bobby Aylward, Mick Barry, Richard Boyd Barrett, John Brady, John Brassil, Declan Breathnach, Tommy Broughan, James Browne, Pat Buckley, Joan Burton, Mary Butler, Thomas Byrne, Jackie Cahill, Dara Calleary, Pat Casey, Shane Cassells, Jack Chambers, Joan Collins, Michael Collins, Niall Collins, Catherine Connolly, Ruth Coppinger, Barry Cowen, Seán Crowe, David Cullinane, John Curran, Pearse Doherty, Stephen Donnelly, Timmy Dooley, Dessie Ellis, Martin Ferris, Michael Fitzmaurice, Peter Fitzpatrick, Kathleen Funchion, Pat Gallagher, Noel Grealish, Michael Harty, Séamus Healy, Brendan Howlin, Alan Kelly, Gino Kenny, Martin Kenny, John Lahart, James Lawless, Michael Lowry, Catherine Martin, Mattie McGrath, John McGuinness, Denise Mitchell, Aindrias Moynihan, Michael Moynihan, Imelda Munster, Margaret Murphy O'Mahony, Catherine Murphy, Eugene Murphy, Paul Murphy, Denis Naughten, Carol Nolan, Darragh O'Brien, Jim O'Callaghan, Willie O'Dea, Fiona O'Loughlin, Louise O'Reilly, Frank O'Rourke, Jan O'Sullivan, Maureen O'Sullivan, Eoin Ó Broin, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Thomas Pringle, Maurice Quinlivan, Anne Rabbitte, Brendan Ryan, Eamon Ryan, Eamon Scanlon, Róisín Shortall, Brendan Smith, Bríd Smith, Niamh Smyth, Brian Stanley, Peadar Tóibín, Robert Troy.

Amendment declared lost.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Given that amendment No. 2 has been lost, we must now consider amendment No.1 in the name of Sinn Féin.

Photo of Brian StanleyBrian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 1:

(a) To delete the words “introduce a beef market index and require processors to publish weekly price reports;” and substitute the following:“— establish a beef market observatory to require processors to publish daily price reports to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding:
— the prices for cattle (euros per kilogram) established on that day, categorised by:
— type of purchase;

— the quantity of cattle purchased;

— a range of the estimated live weights of the cattle purchased;

— an estimate of the percentage of the cattle purchased that were of a quality grade of choice or better; and

— any premiums or discounts associated with:
— weight, grade or yield; or

— any type of purchase; and the quantity of cattle delivered to the processor (quoted in numbers of herd) on that day, categorised by:
— type of purchase;

— the quantity of cattle delivered on a live weight basis; and

— the quantity of cattle delivered on a dressed weight basis; and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine shall make the information available to the public every reporting day;”;
(b) To insert the following after “Hen Harrier Programme;”:“— adequately uphold the Farmers Charter of Rights;”; and(c) To insert the following after “while reviewing the fallen animal scheme.”:“— carry out a study on how the family farming model can be preserved in the face of the increasing prevalence of feedlots.”

Amendment agreed to.

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I move amendment No. 3:

To insert the following after “provide additional funding to ensure the viability of the knackery industry, while reviewing the fallen animal scheme.”:“further notes that:
— the fact that the further the beef animal goes from the farm gate, the less information is made available on price; and in light of the distinct lack of information on margins in the processing sector or the farmers’ share of the carcass price received on EU markets by processors, including the volumes and value of specific cuts, there is now an urgent need for measures to be taken to provide beef price transparency right across the supply chain; and
further calls on the Government to:
— intensify efforts to secure EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for certified grass-fed, extensively reared Irish Suckler Beef and in tandem with PGI status to develop a new marketing brand, along the lines of the Kerrygold brand, to sell this unique product into premium markets;

— implement the recommendation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission of 28th May last, that a dedicated sectoral regulator be established as a matter of urgency

to enforce the EU Directive on Unfair Trading Practices in the agricultural and food supply chain, and to deliver ongoing regulatory interventions to improve the welfare of farmers;

— as an interim measure, ensure that the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation shall, under section 10(4) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014, request the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to carry out a market study and analysis on the nature and scale of consumer and beef farmer issues in the beef market and make recommendations, as appropriate; and

— ensure that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine immediately convenes a cross-sector implementation group to establish a publicly owned and controlled national beef supply blockchain, which has the potential to transform the beef supply chain by reducing production costs, emissions and allowing the farmer to receive a premium return for beef while providing consumers with greater confidence in the beef they consume.”

Amendment agreed to.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.