Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----I am severely disappointed.

I call on the Leader to invite the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, to come to the Seanad to discuss and debate the issue of beef farming. While many farmers will attend the ploughing championships this week and much has been said about growth in the economy, this is not the case for beef farmers. They are being paid €1 less per kilo for steers, which amounts to €300 per animal, than the sum being paid to English farmers. This is happening because factories are playing hell with Irish farmers. The only one who can join the dots between the farmer and the factory is the Minister. If farmers pull back on production, the State will lose out in terms of Harvest 2020 and employment. We need to wake up to this issue which the Minister should come to the House to debate.