Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

I acknowledge that farm families are under great pressure. The Senator may have read in today's Irish Farmers' Journal the comparisons being made between the challenges faced in the 1980s and the challenges faced today. One could argue that the challenges are even greater today because in the 1980s there were more farmers and perhaps more options. Since that time a more dominant role is played by fewer buyers and processors. Essentially the gateway of access from producer to consumer has become narrower and more filtered, so the pressure is greater. The principle is that in recessionary times it will not be possible to spend our way out of it or to put off the evil day. There will be even greater unemployment, a view that has been repeatedly made to me. Unless we take very painful decisions as fairly and equitably as we can in a balanced and understanding way now, it will not get any better and in fact will get much worse.

My area of horticulture does not receive the millions of euro that I mentioned in my earlier reply. Horticulture is the canary in the coalmine. In 1980, 1,220 people were involved in horticulture. That number has steadily reduced and is now approximately 280. However, the area of land has not changed. It has simply been that people who have been under pressure have thrown their hat at it and got out. In many cases they are renting their land to somebody who has not got out of the business. We need to find other ways to access the market other than just the supermarkets which are very good and convenient and on which we all depend for our weekly shopping. The same area of land used by those 280 growers in the neighbouring island of Great Britain is being farmed by three farmers and even one of those is losing money.

I agree with the Senator that we need those direct payments and we need to be very mindful to maintain the supports people need just to get by. However, we need to go far beyond that if we are to ensure we have the viability in farming that would allow people to get access to market. I realise that is a much bigger question than we can address today. It is an issue of which I am very mindful as, I appreciate, is the Senator. Payments form only one small part of it.