Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I have many concerns about the Bill but I also must acknowledge that the concept of the legislation is going in the right direction. I am deeply concerned that there has been insufficient consultation prior to the publication of the Bill before the Seanad. It is similar to the case of the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill over which I lost the Whip. The points I made in the House on that occasion were subsequently addressed in the Dáil and brought back to this House for our agreement. I made the point that I could not, on principle, agree to something that will be amended in the Dáil and not amended in this House. I took issue with that on a point of principle.

Until such time as the broad farming community and the broad vision in rural Ireland come to accept this Bill in some form or another by negotiation or consultation, there will be severe difficulties. Some people are disingenuous in that they say they support this Bill but at our party group meeting yesterday more than six or almost half of the Senators in the Seanad group who turned up expressed grave concern about it. As the Bill stands, I would find it difficult, if not impossible, to support it. Its tenor is correct but we must look at the overall picture of food provision and exporting. I have been outspoken in my support of the fishing industry. At present, Castletownbere is the biggest whitefish port in Ireland and 75% of whitefish landed there is shipped in huge refrigerated juggernauts all the way across Europe to Spain. When I go to a shop in Schull or Bantry and ask for bream, I am told it is imported from Cypress and we import fish from Iceland and Indonesia.

I will continue this argument next week. I have become a grandfather in recent months and am deeply concerned about climate change.