Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, to the House and am delighted to have an opportunity to speak on the amendment.

That the motion and amendment are compatible reflects the seriousness of the situation. I am aware of a farmer in Portarlington who grows 30 acres of sugar beet with a quota of 440 tonnes. From the planting of the beet until it comes out of the ground, it costs €14,000. His quota is worth €22,000 which represents an approximate profit of €8,000 when it is taken to the factory in Carlow. As a result of the decision to close the Carlow plant that farmer is well and truly out of business because there is no way in the world he can transport his sugar beet from Portarlington to Mallow.

I ask the Minister to use her influence whatever way she can to ensure facilities are put in place for the farmers of the general midlands area who are growing sugar beet to take the beet by rail to Mallow, as proposed. Can she also ensure that such facilities are put in place before the factory closes to facilitate those farmers? Otherwise, farmers in the midlands who grow sugar beet will be out of business. At this stage they have no way of obtaining entitlements on their land for the reference years 2001 and 2002. They have no way of being compensated for having to stop growing sugar.

I have no doubt the Minister will do her utmost in the coming talks to ensure these farmers are looked after. Many speakers have suggested that the decision could perhaps be deferred for one year. This would allow people more notice and time to try to resolve their personal situations with regard to the growing of sugar beet.

Greencore is a private company and must live within the boundaries of the global business market. However, perhaps its decision was premature and it should have waited. I am giving the Minister the opportunity to make the best case for Ireland at the WTO talks. We all know there is a problem within the industry, that the market must be opened up, that there will be a 16% reduction and that the Irish sugar beet industry will face tough times. However, it would have been better if Greencore had deferred its decision and given the Minister every opportunity to fight the best case.

I hope the Minister is successful for the sake of the farmers in the Midlands and the workers employed in the Carlow factory.