Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I second the amendment.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I accept his views in regard to a regulator and appreciate that would not send the right signals at a time when much work has been done by many, not least the Minister, in respect of the beef industry. I am aware that his main concern is that we protect and continue to grow the beef industry in Ireland. The number of retail customers for Irish beef now as against 2001 has grown considerably, due to hard work by many people, particularly farmers who have risen to the opportunity. All of us are here today because of the concerns expressed by farmers in the recent past. I am not a farmer and rather than me expressing my concerns I shall draw attention to a couple of remarks which, perhaps, the Minister would clarify. I am aware the Minister has invested a great deal and I am aware of the additional benefit to the economy from the beef industry. I understand and appreciate the genetic advances that are being made. I note the beef activation group has been working hard and that more ambitious growth in the sector is planned up to 2020. I know those things because the Minister has been busy on that front and he has come to the House frequently and told us about them.

Let us have a look at a couple of the observations made on behalf of those farmers organisations whom the Minister met in February. They also appeared before the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. They met the Minister on Thursday, 20 February and four days later the factories reduced the price for steers, heifers, bulls and cows. On the issue of the cartel across the industry, people have telephoned me to say there is a cartel. I take what the Minister has said here that, if there is evidence of a cartel, it should be brought to his office and he will deal with it. I would have thought that if there was evidence the farming organisations are the ones who would bring it to his attention. I can only assume, therefore, that they did not bring such evidence to him and in that case we should put aside any conversation about cartels. The farming organisations are nothing if not organised or in touch with their farmers. They have all come forward and expressed their grave concerns about what is happening. I assume they had that opportunity on 20 February to raise that matter and if they did not do it, I do not understand what is going on because people like me are being told that there is evidence of cartels. I have not gone out and consulted with the factories but there appears to be a gap between what is being said and the information that I assume was brought to the Minister at that meeting and, perhaps, at other meetings.

Farmers have raised other issues. They say they are concerned that factories are being allowed to use the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's animal identification and movement, AIM, system database to monitor livestock numbers for individual farmers. They asked for a guarantee from the Minister's office that AIM is absolutely confidential and that factories do not have access to those herd profiles. They asked also that the Minister strongly defend the beef sector in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and Mercosur trade negotiations with the US and Brazil. As that is on the Minister's agenda, perhaps he would mention it in his response. They speak about the average price of bull beef being down 21% since last September. I took from the Minister's observations that he is trying to encourage farmers, if I understood him correctly, to be more specific and to plan more. Gone are the days when it was a bit of a laissez-faire at the factory gate and one could come with whatever one had and take whatever one got. If people are to specialise in bull beef, they cannot blame the free market if they are let down.

Organisations such as the ICMSA say that farmers are sick of uncertainty and talk about people getting out of beef. They talk about the substantial loss of hundreds of euro per animal and having to feed animals they can neither sell nor kill and they do not know what to do with them. We have seen a litany of observations about what is going on that suggest a real crisis. I wonder whether that is being inflated to some extent. While there are farmers who are seriously losing, is it down to the fact that we need better planning and better specification in the beef bull area? What did the Minister say to the meat industry representatives and to the farming organisations when he met them? Is he satisfied that a cartel is not at work in this area? Can he put up his hand and say that so that everybody might understand? What is at the heart of the matter is that people believe the farmers are ultimately being let down, despite their own enthusiasm and investment in Food Harvest 2020. At this moment they feel they are being fought against by the meat industry.

I accept that much hard work has been done. I note that Irish beef is highly valued and is important in the economy and in the export trade. I am aware the Minister has worked hard to contribute to that. I would appreciate clarity on the issue I have raised. I have had several telephone calls about Polish meat being imported and relabelled as Irish meat and being sent out as Irish meat. As this is not the first time I have raised that matter, perhaps the Minister would comment.