Paul Bradford (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, to the House once again. I am aware that one area of her responsibilities is rural development and planning for the future of rural Ireland. In that regard, my motion is pertinent. It concerns the Government's future plans to maximise the number of farming families in this country over the long term at a time when all in the agriculture industry are very excited about the end of the milk quota regime. This is a very positive development and it should be portrayed as such. We have projected figures for future dairy production, future dairy herd numbers and future employment, both on-farm and off-farm. They are very positive. We are all very much aware of the difficulties which will arise in respect of the fluctuation in milk prices but, it is hoped that everyone working in the industry, working with the financial institutions, the dairy co-operatives and the dairy processors, will be able to plan for the rainy days as well as the sunshine in that regard.

My question goes a little beyond that however. One of the disappointing projections in respect of the positive milk quota news is that over the next number of years it is expected that the number of people in dairy farming will fall. The scale of it will be much bigger but we may well in ten or 15 years time have fewer dairy farmers in this country. In respect of not just dairy farmers but farmers right across the spectrum, and in particular farming families, is it not time that we as a nation and the Minister of State and her Government colleagues would try to put a figure on the number of people they want on the land of Ireland in five, ten, 15 and 20 years time?I accept that is a difficult thing to do but it is something we should plan for. It is not something which we have previously planned.

Clearly we plan for the future of agriculture, we plan for the future of production and we plan for expansion. Rural development since Ireland joined what was then known as the EEC in 1973 has been very positive from the production and agri-industry points of view. However, the number of people on the land and farms of this country have dropped quite dramatically. Much of that is understandable but some arises from choices taken by various Ministers and Departments down the years.

The Minister of State, and her colleagues across the agricultural portfolio, must make a decision over the course of the next year. Who knows, it may be her party and others again who will be in Government. In the next five or six years we must decide to set a minimum target for the number of people who will farm the lands of Ireland, and farming our townlands, parishes and counties. Every farming family adds to the economic infrastructure of the country and adds very significantly to the social infrastructure of rural Ireland. One could, in theory, greatly expand Irish agriculture while simultaneously see the number of farmers and farming families drop by 50%, which would not be a desirable outcome.

It has been great to see an increase in the number of students attending agricultural colleges over the past number of years. It shows young people want to be farmers again. We must state to them that we are trying to maximise options, from a policy perspective, in order that they can remain in farming. The dairy industry, no matter how progressively it expands and we all wish it well, cannot employ every single interested farmer on this island. Therefore, we must look at other agricultural sectors. We must look again at pig and sheep production which have big problems and there are also problems in the beef sector. While I use the term "micro sector" I am not being dismissive. We must look at the micro and organic sectors and do more work on a REPs-type expansion, etc.

I do not have a solution for the Minister of State and I do not think anybody does. However, I seek to learn her thinking, and that of her colleagues in Government, on this issue. It would be helpful if we could ensure there is a strong long-term future for the maximum number of farming families which would be good for farming. It would also be good for rural Ireland and the community life which is the social fabric of this country and the economy. I seek her initial observations. I appreciate that this is a medium to long-term issue but it is one we need to work towards.