Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

I will stick to the issue. I welcome the Minister of State. As Senator Buttimer said, he is very fair with his time in the Seanad and always gives a very good account of himself when he comes in. I commend him and his Department on the outstanding work they are doing, especially in the promotion of the organic market. In a very difficult economic climate, it is important we use every opportunity to enhance our economy. The organic sector is more important than ever in that regard.

The Minister of State has set himself a very ambitious target in the action plan. When one sets a target, one encourages people like Senator Buttimer to pick holes in it. It is a courageous thing to do. Obviously, it is too early to see how we are progressing but perhaps there are some figures to indicate whether we are on track, ahead of expectations or a little below them. It is clear everybody will understand that it is going to be infinitely more difficult for the Minister and for the Department to realise their targets as a result of the downturn in the economy which is affecting everybody and everything. I suspect it will probably hit the organic food area as well and perhaps more so and therefore the Department will need to be ever more vigilant. Somebody once observed that organic products thrive in an affluent society. The Minister of State may not necessarily agree with that comment but organic products tend to be more expensive because their production is more costly and more demanding and the standards are higher and there is a cost factor as a result. When products become more expensive and when the economy is dipping, people will probably tend to look at cheaper options. This may be short-sighted and less than ideal but human nature being what it is, this is what will happen. Many commentators are of the opinion that there will be a downturn in an area as fragile as the organic sector, despite the best efforts of the Minister of State and his officials.

As Senator Buttimer would say, I will broaden the debate to discuss general agricultural prices. We are definitely in queer times when a farmer - the normal or orthodox farmer, so to speak - is getting €1 for his gallon of milk and it costs him almost as much to produce it and that is in good, dry weather. At the moment, with the May we have had, it has been a wet season with cattle back indoors and increased ration costs, most dairy farmers are producing milk at a loss and that is not acceptable and I know the Minister, Deputy Smith, is addressing that-----