Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

If the Minister for Agriculture and Food was to provide leadership to the staff in Agriculture House to formulate policies of real substance to the people who work the land, then I am sure we would not say we are on the threshold of a new era but we would be en route to a progressive agricultural policy, which we have not had for the past ten years or so. That is fact — ask any farmer. When the Minister of State, Deputy Aylward, leaves the protected confines of Leinster House to face the electorate, he will find a very cold breeze in Leinster.

Farm incomes are falling and there is an exodus from the land. The Government, which cannot build confidence in people who have been involved in agriculture all their lives and for generations, is to blame. Why have young people who wish to go into agriculture no confidence that, as a sole source of income, farming will provide for their families in the future? All around the country there is obvious evidence, for example, Teagasc is selling its research farms in Clonroche, Wexford, and it is selling its fruit farm. In Athenry, County Galway, the Department is selling its lands at Mellowes College for an industrial park while vast tracts of UCD's farm in Celbridge, County Kildare, are being sold. Land in Ballinamore, County Leitrim is being sold also.

Four contrasting environments in four contrasting areas provided income to those working in different aspects of agriculture. It is indicative that Teagasc is preparing the people who are left on the land for an eventual exit from farming. The consequences of that are very serious not necessarily for rural areas alone, but for the whole country. If the active population in agriculture is declining, we will have declining income at national level. Everybody knows that the subsidisation of agriculture has been criticised. However, were it not for the support of premia payments, we would have a very serious crisis.

The figures speak for themselves. Farm income declined in 2003 by 2.2% at a time when all other incomes under the Celtic tiger were increasing by 5% plus. The average income from farming in 2003 was €15,500 compared to the average industrial wage of €27,000 or public service income of €39,000. In other words, the average farmer has 45% less income than the average industrial worker or more than 50% less than the average public sector employee. Unless there is a policy driven focus on farming, how can we expect people to continue in agriculture? From the profile of those engaged in agriculture, many will retire in the next decade, others will die and we will have a more serious crisis but, as Senator O'Brien said, we have a man that will respond to a crisis. That will be too late for the Minister, Deputy Walsh, who I presume will not be there.