Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Brendan Smith, to the House and thank him for his presentation. This is an appropriate day to have this discussion given earlier comment in this House on the need for an economic and growth stimulus plan for the economy. Agriculture can be part of our approach towards growth and stimulating the economy. Many of us attended the pre-budget briefing earlier today by the largest farming organisation, the IFA, at which it outlined its deep concerns in advance of the budget. It is interesting that we are having this debate having taken on board comments made by colleagues in the House today and the concerns of the IFA about the future of Irish agriculture and the way it can grow and survive.

We can safely make the statement now that farming and food production is back in fashion. During the boom years of the so-called Celtic tiger, when there was a job at almost every crossroads for every rural boy and girl if they so wished, we lost some of the focus on our primary natural industry, farming and food production, which had sustained us through generations.

It is often said that we should always take advantage of a recession and because of the recession here and the international depression, we are recognising once again that our biggest exporting industry, namely, agriculture, is a key not just to the recovery of this country but to its development into the future. This plan is welcome and useful and we must ensure it is not a plan that will end up adding to those on the shelves in Leinster House.

In that regard, it is important the maximum support be given to the implementation committee the Minister has put in place. I congratulate him on putting in place that committee because we have had a plethora of excellent reports across various Departments full of good ideas and suggestions but which remain on the shelf and are not implemented. It is vital this plan is implemented to the maximum possible degree.

I look forward to the Minister's regular updates on the work of the implementation committee because we must move the plan from the pages before us to the farms and the farmland of rural Ireland and ensure it works. It is ambitious and difficult but it is doable. We are setting high targets and laudable goals but they can be achieved. The Minister mentioned the introduction of the milk quota regime in 1984. I recall that causing some difficulty in rural Ireland at the time because of the growth in the dairy industry in the preceding years but if we can achieve that type of growth again, we will be in a position to double milk output, and we all know what a huge advantage that will be for the industry.

In terms of the Minister's other major targets, the big target is to increase the primary output of agriculture, fisheries and forestry by €1.5 billion and then improve value added in the sector by €3 billion, which will be a 40% increase on 2008. They are targets to which we all must commit ourselves politically and work with the appropriate sectors to ensure they are achieved.

Regardless of my strong support for the Minister's endeavours in this regard and his commitment to turn the pages of the report into reality, we must also recognise that, as we speak, there are deep concerns in Irish agriculture, notwithstanding the reasonable income increases in the past 12 months arising from more favourable weather and market conditions, etc. There are many challenges facing Irish farming families which need to be addressed, especially in regard to the forthcoming budget about which I am aware the Minister will be in deep discussions with his colleague at the Department of Finance.

We heard earlier about the IFA's concerns on the taxation front in particular. For the 2020 plan to be in place we need a firm foundation of farming families, with the maximum numbers possible retained on the land. That is the reason in the forthcoming budget, by its inclusions and exclusions, we have the opportunity to demonstrate once again our support for and valuing of Irish agriculture. I am aware the Minister has met the farming organisations on numerous occasions and is aware of their short-term concerns in advance of the budget, including taxation concerns about property tax, required changes to the carbon taxation regime, stock relief, agriculture relief for farm transfers, etc. I ask the Minister to try to ensure the Minister for Finance looks favourably on those requests.

We can safely say that the moneys which have been invested in the farming schemes in recent years have created jobs. When we look at agriculture as part of the broader economy and the job losses across all sectors and compare those losses with the almost full maintenance of agriculture production and output and jobs in agriculture, it indicates that it is an industry that is working well but which needs our continued support and that of the Government if we are to put this 2020 plan in place.

I wish to raise some individual items of concern. The Minister must demonstrate his Department's commitment and that of the Government to farmers, and young farmers in particular. The change in the REP scheme has had a rather dramatic income effect on a significant number of people. The installation aid grant scheme, the early retirement scheme and the disadvantaged areas scheme ploughed money into rural pockets and that money was spent locally to produce economic and agricultural activity and sustain jobs. We must try to revisit those schemes at the earliest possible date when some degree of funding allows the Minister to do so.

We are also concerned in Fine Gael, and I am sure we are not alone in our concern about this issue, about the question of retailer dominance, with the farmer being the victim of the supermarket sector in this regard. It is something the Minister must examine.

On the question of forestry, an area we have discussed in greater depth in this House on occasions, it is disappointing that the targets we have set nationally for forestry are not being reached. From an agricultural, environmental, income generation and future pension perspective, forestry is a win-win area and needs further support and commitment. We appeared to have been making a steady graph of progress but that has levelled off and may even have reduced. The Minister might reflect on that when we have the question and answer session at the end of his contribution.

We continue, rightly, to bemoan the fact that since 1973 the fisheries sector has not benefited from European Union policies. I presume further negotiations will take place in advance of January. It is in December-January that the fishing negotiations take place and in so far as we can try to make changes and amendments, we must do so because jobs can be generated in this sector stemming from our natural environment.

I welcome the report and the setting up of the implementation committee. It is important we ensure this plan is implemented.