David Norris (Independent)

I believe I have already congratulated the Minister of State, Deputy Connick, but if I have not had that opportunity, I do so now and welcome him to the House. I am particularly glad he is present because, approximately one week ago, a very interesting meeting on safe food was organised by our colleague, Senator Buttimer, with John Dardis, the head political person in Safe Food Ireland, which is a North-South body. We discussed some of the issues around traceability and the impact of good farm products on the Irish diet and people's health. I know this is an issue in which the Minister of State has a particular interest.

Some people expressed surprise that I should speak about agriculture but we all have our roots in the bog. My grandfather inherited three encumbered farms and tried to make a living out of farming. I know something about the hazards of that particular way of life.

I thank the IFA for the very interesting briefing it gave. I will not rehearse the entire thing because I am sure Senators have put much of it on the record. In my experience, farmers are direct and simple people who are capable of giving clear expression to complex ideas. I just met a group of them in the visitors' bar where I was looking for a group of taxi people who wanted to brief me and said they would see me there. I did not meet them but I met the farmers who had some interesting things to say to which I will refer presently.

For all the excellence of the IFA's briefing, it over-estimates my intelligence in terms of the acronyms involved and the very dense language. I puzzled myself in trying to reach an accommodation with what is very complex language. It stated that the two central issues for it are maintaining the real value of the national envelope covering both single farm payments and rural development which is worth €1.7 billion per year. I am sure there is an easier way to express that or a way for it to give a glossary of these kinds of terms.

I can quite easily comprehend the next issue, which is that for individual farmers, the key issue is securing the full single farm payment and continuing to pay it on a historical basis. When one gets into the substance of the document, however, there is a lot about various axes, pillar two, flexibility within member states and so on. The idea of a single farm payment modulation could be expressed simply. I am a supporter of the society for the protection of plain English and suggest it would be useful in dealing with briefings for Members of the Oireachtas if the IFA kept it as simple as possible because not everybody has a direct connection with farming matters.

I support the CAP and the Minister in his entry into the current round of negotiations. I support, in particular, subsidies which are accurately targeted and do not negatively impinge on the developing world. There is a balance to be struck because some of the agricultural policies of the European Union have been perceived as having a negative impact on countries which are sometimes described as the Third World. In conscience, we need to ensure as far as possible that this does not happen.

In a troubled and difficult world, it is very important to maintain the agriculture sector. It has had a very difficult time. Throughout the past year to 18 months, a succession of farming groups have received cuts in their wages even before the real impact of the crash, and I am sure the Minister of State knows that because he will have met some of these people. For example, I have no idea how sheep farmers continue to live on the dwindling returns they get for very heavy work and substantial investment. I do not believe anybody in Leinster House would be prepared to work for those margins.

The other significant factor is the dearth of young men and young women going into farming. It is no longer a tradition that is passed on or, in many areas, seen as a viable option for young people of talent, which it should be. We should support young people in every way possible to ensure they go into the industry and continue the tradition of farming. That would guarantee a stable rural society and food security in the future for the citizens of Ireland. That may very well become an important item in the programme.

We need to look at sustainable food production, especially in a manner that is environmentally sustainable. We should brand and promote the excellence of Irish products, in particular Irish beef. We do not use particularly intensive methods and we are closer to the natural rhythm of life. We do not use chemicals, hormones and so on to the degree which other countries do, including Brazil. I congratulate the farmers' lobby on having had the initiative to go to Brazil to investigate what is happening, to go to the farms and to illustrate on the Saturday morning farming programme on RTE that the traceability of Brazilian beef scarcely exists. At least in Ireland, we can be secure and trace our major food products, including beef.

I wish to raise the concerns of my friends of approximately 15 minutes ago. I was looking for taxi men but instead I found councillors from County Limerick. I did not know at the time they were councillors and I still do not know to which party they belong, if any.