David Norris (Independent)

They were the Minister of State's lot. That is fine by me. I am not prejudiced at all. I am totally politically promiscuous, as the Minister of State knows. I have friends in all parties and do not believe I have too many enemies in any of them.

These people were involved in beef farming, both dairy and meat production. The point they made was that the new grading system introduced by the EU seriously prejudices their interests. They used a certain amount of technical jargon which I complained about in regard to the briefing from the IFA. One fellow could see that I was a bit dazzled and he said he would put it simply. He said that if he turned up at the mart with a lorry with 15 animals in it, in the old days he got more or less the same price for the lot. He said that now the grading system has become so minute, particularised and sophisticated, he would get 12 different prices for the 15 animals. This makes it difficult for the farmer to organise his budget. This is information I have received by accident direct from the coalface today. We need to review the system of grading.

Having mentioned Brazilian farming methods, I will comment briefly on American farming methods because they serve as a warning for Ireland where farming is a great tradition, including in my family. The United States has moved away from small farms and small farmers hardly exist any longer. What one has are corporations and enterprises that are quoted on the New York Stock Exchange, vast ranches, highly artificial methods of production and tasteless beef. Chicken, on the other hand, sometimes tastes of fish meal. When one puts a forkful of it into one's mouth one thinks one is eating cod, which is most unpleasant. One also has watery eggs and there is little in terms of guarantees.

Where intensive farming is used - this is particularly true of the poultry industry as opposed to the beef industry - the corporations operate a high security system and will not allow investigation by members of animal welfare organisations because they are ashamed of the practices used. This is not only a matter of humanity and dealing with our relatives down the DNA chain. Animals are our relatives, have feelings and deserve respect. It is not only a matter of showing respect for the rights of our fellow creatures but also of the effect the practices in question have on the quality and taste of animals. We must be aware of the American approach which has squeezed out small farmers and created huge ranches. I would hate to see this happen here as it would be bad for agriculture, production, consumers and, most certainly, rural society.

The Minister framed this debate in the context of a European Union budget review and the new EU financial perspective for 2014 to 2020. This makes it an important discussion. The Minister also committed himself to an objective that is dear to my heart, namely, the preservation of family farming in Europe. There is, however, a political dimension to this issue. If that were not the case, the matter would be redundant for those who have a view of farming at one remove. We are all interested in the political dimension and support the Minister of State, Deputy Connick, and his senior colleague in what they are doing. They have worked politically to create a support network among other Ministers in Europe for a strong and properly resourced Common Agricultural Policy after 2013. I was heartened to read in the Minister's contribution that, after the meeting of the group of 22 like-minded EU Agriculture Ministers in Paris in December, there was a feeling of cohesion. In other words, we have allies in Europe with whom we can work in the interests of European agriculture.

As I stated, there are a number of significant elements to this issue on which the Minister will have been briefed. He will also have been told by my colleagues about the importance of rural development funding, young farmers and sustainable food production, about which I have spoken.

The Brazilians are among the world's major exporters of beef and the European Union is the largest importer of Brazilian beef in the world. This has an impact on our agricultural sector and, through deforestation in the Amazon basin, on the environment. Having had the privilege of visiting the Amazon basin, I have seen its beauty and remarkable capacity for sustaining life in all its forms. It is a very important resource in terms of drugs, plant life and so forth. The cattle sector is responsible for 80% of deforestation in the basin. This is a further reason for Ireland to sustain its beef industry, even if it is at the expense of our neighbours, albeit not very close neighbours, in Brazil.

I commend the Minister. All sides in the House will support positive moves. I hope that in this troubled and difficult world, we will take wise and judicious measures to secure a supply of good food, encourage agriculture and ensure young people enter the farming sector.