Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. I understand the reason for his absence from last week's debate and why he must leave this debate early to prepare for tomorrow's important meetings. We recognise that with the ongoing meetings on the CAP health check, the Minister is significantly involved in planning for the future of Irish agriculture. We sincerely wish him well in that regard. The debate on agriculture at European level is not a question of the Government side or the Opposition side, it is one in which we are anxious to support and encourage the Minister because we are of one mind on the future of Irish agriculture.

The CAP health check is obviously important. The period between now and 2013 is of immediate concern but the period beyond 2013 and planning for that, when the European budgetary strategy will be very challenging, is also important and the Minister should put down early markers in so far as he can. Ireland must again demand a fair and full share of the European budget for European agriculture and, indeed, Irish agriculture. The Minister referred briefly to the issue of food security. We must keep to the fore of our arguments that the demand for food, in Europe and worldwide, is increasing significantly each year. There is a political onus on us and the European Union to ensure that, at a minimum, the Continent of Europe produces sufficient food for its population. We recall from studying history of the European Union in the history books that at the very core of the creation of the European Economic Community was a desire to ensure the land of Europe would produce a plentiful food supply for the people of Europe. This argument is more important now than ever. The concept of global food security should be very much to the fore in this debate.

The Minister referred to energy security and Irish and European agriculture have a very significant role to play in its provision. In the past 12 months or two years, we have fallen out of love, politically speaking, with the contribution agriculture can make to energy supply. Some three or four years ago there was a coalition of like minds on the question of support and subsidies for energy crops. However, in recent times the debate on energy versus food has perhaps become too lopsided in the other direction. I hope we may again consider the very positive measures which agriculture can contribute to energy supply and that we can balance the debate somewhat, because from a policy perspective we have lost the battle in the past two years. We must try to refocus on the possibility of substantial growth — excuse the pun — in energy crops. We must recognise that the primary use of the lands of Ireland and Europe should be for food production, but there is a good deal of spare capacity at present and we must try to refocus the debate towards using some of that spare capacity for energy crops and the supply of energy.

We must revisit last week's debate on the post-budget situation. I recognise the Minister is involved in the CAP health check. The Minister will be involved in the initial debate on the post-2013 situation. However, we must regenerate confidence for the sake of Irish agriculture. Everyone should concede that the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance dashed the confidence of many farmers and especially young farmers. Last week in the Houses we debated at length the suspension of the farm installation aid grant, the farm retirement pension scheme and the very significant cutbacks in funding for disadvantaged areas. The Minister in his initial comments did not refer to those issues, but I hope they are at the core of his thoughts.

The words "temporary suspension" were used regularly and liberally by those in the Government benches last week and I hope the cutbacks or suspensions are temporary. Will the Minister consider the people who, even if the cutbacks or suspensions are temporary, will fall between two stools — excuse the agricultural pun again — because the timeframe for the installation aid grant applications and the farm retirement pensions applications are tight? Those who may be eligible for these schemes today, tomorrow, next week or next month may not be eligible in six or 12 months' time. I hope there will be a reversal of Government policy on these two schemes. I recognise it may not happen this week, this month or next month, but will the Minister put a structure in place to allow those who would have been eligible to apply today, tomorrow or next month to come within the reconstituted scheme as soon as it returns?