Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I call on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to come to the House to discuss the price Irish farmers are getting for meat in this country. The success of our agriculture sector is being hindered by recent cattle prices which suggest that the market is uncompetitive. This is of great concern to most people out there, particularly those who are working as farmers. Recently I did a price comparison and the average market steer prices among the top three companies in Ireland were almost identical, with the greatest difference between two companies being only five cent per kilo. Right now beef prices in the United Kingdom are at almost €5 per kilo, which is over €1 per kilo more than what Irish farmers are making. This gap in the prices between Ireland and the United Kingdom is unprecedented. The uncompetitive meat companies are holding prices down in the Irish market and livestock farmers are suffering as a result. The Government cannot allow this kind of profiteering to continue. It is clear that the market is lacking in true competition. This is harmful to our economy and especially harmful to our livestock farmers. Irish farmers have had to put up with a lot in recent years, with rural areas hit the hardest by the recession, the fodder crisis, budget cuts and now the flooding problems. In 2011, Members may remember, the Competition Authority found that an agreement had been made among competitors in the beef industry to reduce capacity in Ireland and control the market to their benefit. I support a full investigation into what is happening in our beef industry. If foul play is not involved, then it needs to be ruled out now. In order to ensure that the beef market is competitive and to safeguard the well-being of our livestock farmers, the Minister should come into the House to address this issue, with all Members given an opportunity to express their views.