Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I am hoping the Minister of State will relay my story to the Minister for agriculture. Food security is of paramount importance. We all know if we do not eat, young or old, we will not last very long. It is sad when we see other people and children in need in all these war-torn places starving. We hear and we read there are 750 million people in the world starving, yet we seem to not be doing our best to promote the growth of our beef and dairy industry like we should be. We still remember, because we can see the ridges of garden on the hillsides that were never dug because of the Famine in the 1840s, when the gardens failed. It was not too long ago. We were still exporting beef and meat to England to pay the rent and they would not forgo that and many of our people starved. The ridges that were not dug are still there to be seen.

The thing that is bothering a lot of people is the State seems to be buying up a lot of land. It said in the Irish Farmers' Journal the other day the State is going to continue doing that. First of all, that land is bought against young farmers who want to expand and the State is paying higher than normal prices for it. This land is let go wild, encouraging more deer and more badgers and foxes. In Kerry we have a national park of 27,000 acres. It is lovely and all that, but there is no control in the world over the deer or the badgers coming out of it, spreading TB and killing people on the roads. It is a fact. They are breaking cars and there is no control in the world.

The other thing that is happening is good land is being planted with solar panels. Farmers who had up to 1,100 cows are giving up and covering the place with solar panels. This is happening in west Cork, east Cork and in the royal county of Meath and it is a real worry. I thought solar panels were to be on the roofs of agricultural or commercial buildings. I do not blame any farmer or landowner for switching if they are not being paid properly for their produce but there should be some proper policy on it. Farmers are getting blamed then and feel victimised for climate change and polluting rivers by many in different sectors, including Members in this Chamber. Members in this Chamber are victimising them and blaming them constantly and advising us to eat other tropical-type foods from South America and different places. Do they realise there is a carbon footprint in bringing all these things? Then one of our recent taoisigh went as far as saying he was doing his bit for climate change by reducing his beef consumption. Beef is expensive now because it is getting scarce. It is only proper and right the farmers are being paid for their produce, but lamb is also getting scarce. Dairy farmers are giving up. Young fellows see their friends working a five-day week, getting holidays and not having to be up all night calving cows. They see they have a better time and they are not going to stay at the grindstone like their fathers or their grandfathers building up their big dairy herds. I have more to say.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. Ireland is among the most food secure countries in the world and, according to the latest Global Food Security Index, ranks second of 113 countries assessed for food security. The resilience of the food supply chain was clearly demonstrated over the past number of years when dealing with the effects of Brexit and Covid-19. Currently Ireland produces significantly more food than we consume. The Irish agrifood sector is globally orientated, with approximately 90% of Irish beef, sheepmeat and dairy produce exported each year.

As the Deputy is aware, Ireland is part of the EU Single Market and participates in the Common Agriculture Policy, which is the key mechanism for ensuring food security throughout Europe. The EU is largely self-sufficient for many agricultural products but is a considerable net importer for specific products. The current geopolitical situation is challenging established assumptions on food security. The EU communication, Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems, sets out actions in the three areas of security, stability and sustainability. The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers will continue to focus on these core areas and to support the work of the European food security crisis preparedness and response mechanism.

The agrifood sector drives economic growth in every rural parish in every county in Ireland, as the Deputy alluded to. It reaches out from every corner of the country to global markets. It includes primary production in farming, fishing and forestry and the processing and manufacture of food, beverages and wood products. Agrifood is Ireland’s largest indigenous exporting sector and accounts for 6% of modified gross national income and 8.6% of merchandising exports in value terms. The sector employs 169,300 people, representing 6.1% of total employment, which translates to one in every 16 jobs, and of course a far greater proportion in rural constituencies like mine and the Deputy's. While the last few years have been challenging for the sector, as significant energy price rises and supply chain disruption fuelled inflation and contributed to increased input prices and decreases in output prices, our farmers, fishers, processors and food businesses have demonstrated the resilience of the agrifood sector.

Ireland's approach to delivering sustainable agriculture and food is set out in Food Vision 2030, our shared stakeholder-led strategy for the continuing development of the agrifood sector in Ireland. Its vision is for Ireland to be "a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems", encompassing environmental, economic and social sustainability. It was designed using a food systems approach, recognising the requirement to have greater policy coherence across agriculture, food, and the environment and the involvement of all of the food system stakeholders. The centrality of primary producers in Food Vision 2030 recognises economically sustainable farmers, fishers and forest owners are an integral part of our rural and coastal community and of our natural environment and landscape. It recognises that healthy environments, ecosystems, communities and economies go together.

Irish agrifood exports reached a record €19.1 billion in 2024, which is an increase of over 5% by value on the €18.1 billion achieved in 2023 and an increase of a third by value, that is, €4.8 billion, on the €14.3 million achieved in 2020. This represents 40% of all exports from Irish-owned firms. With highly competitive global markets, the agrifood sector works hard to protect its reputation and continuously strives to innovate and maintain a level of competitiveness and resilience that has enabled it to prosper and develop in a globalised trading environment.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State and for being here this late at night. He has thrown out a lot of figures there. My head is not like a computer but I can say to him he is going back to figures for what has happened up to now but I am worried about here on because as I told him, much land is being bought up and let go idle.

Much land is being planted with solar panels.

I am glad the Minister of State mentioned coastal communities and fishing. Our fishers are almost gone. They were paid to decommission. I have mentioned pair trawling in Kenmare Bay previously in here but nothing has been done about it and nothing will be done. It has been completely cleaned out. I think of times past going back along Tahilla, looking into the bay at Kenmare and seeing the likes of Frankie Jim, Joe Jim, Dónal O'Shea and all those fellows, and the O'Briens and others back along by Sneem, out in the bay fishing day after day. They are gone. I did not get any mackerel in the past three years, whereas the village used to be full of them previously. Now they are not to be had at all out of Kenmare Bay.

There are too many schemes now promoting less production. Where there is protected urea, nothing will be grown. A lot of the fertiliser we buy now, whatever is taken out of it, does not grow what it used to grow.

The other point I must mention is that multinational supermarket companies have too much power. If they decide not to sell us this item or the other, we cannot challenge them because all the small shops are gone. The worst thing they are doing is insisting the suppliers, who are the farmers, must allow them three months' credit. I ask that the Minister of State look into that to see how it is fair. Farmers are bankrolling many of the supermarket companies and they have to wait to be paid. The farmers have to pay for everything they get. They cannot ask their supplier to wait for three months. What these companies are doing is not fair on our producers.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Food Vision 2030 looks to protect and build on Ireland's global reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality, safe and sustainable food to consumers both at home and abroad. As I noted, 90% of what we produce is exported. Irish agrifood has been successful in accessing and developing new market opportunities both locally and in the international markets. Diversifying and developing markets will continue to be a priority. Our new Ministers are working very hard in this area.

Food Vision 2030 aims for the sector to reach €21 billion in exports by 2030, with this growth driven by a steady growth in export value rather than volume. The strategy recognises the challenges but also the opportunities and has a clear vision of Ireland being a world leader in sustainable food systems. The Government continues to support farmers under the €9.8 billion CAP strategic plan and via specific sectoral supports. It is very positive to see the Teagasc national farm survey preliminary results estimating that the average farm income in 2024 rose by 87%, with the 2025 income forecasts also positive. These are real present-day figures.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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What about all the years before that when farmers could barely keep their heads above water?

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Food Vision 20230 provides a vision of a dynamic, sustainable and innovative agrifood sector ready to adapt and embrace change for a more sustainable future. It is a strategic framework that enables Ireland's agrifood sector to work to achieve its ambition as a world leader in sustainable food systems.

The Deputy has a made a number of points. He will appreciate this is not my area of expertise. I will relay his points to the Minister and Ministers of State at the Department of agriculture. The Deputy has a direct line to one of the Ministers of State and I have no doubt he will raise the matter with him.