Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not sharing time. I am merely alluding to that.

Briefly, on the issue of greyhounds, greyhound racing and the raising and breeding of greyhounds goes back centuries. It is part of our history and heritage. It gives great joy to those who are involved. When the statistic of 10 million people having greyhound racing meetings since 2002 is laid before one, it shows the significant impact greyhound racing has on the economy and tourism. The Jim Power report in 2010 showed that at the time there were 10,000 full and part-time jobs, directly and indirectly, associated with the sector, with all the benefit to local economies. The point is it is spread throughout the country. There is also the breeding side, where 75% of greyhounds now running in the UK are Irish bred.

The depth of the passion for greyhounds and the greyhound sector is shown by the recent development at Harold's Cross. This matter will be debated further. On the issue of the greyhound sector governance and regulation, I welcome the fact that the Minister of State is bringing the greyhound industry Bill to Cabinet and before the Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, of which I am a member. We will have a chance to debate it further.I have no doubt we will be back here considering the up-to-date position on it. I acknowledge the significant funding the Government puts into the industry in recognition of its importance to the people and the entire economy.

I wish to move on to the area of organic farming. Senator Boyhan did justice to our objectives in setting out the context. Organic farming is good for the environment and is sustainable, and it is good for our health. While it is open to debate, I believe a good piece of organic chicken or beef or an organic vegetable has a taste that non-organic products do not have. Therefore, there is doubtlessly a lot to commend organic farming.

Organic farmers face many more impediments than other farmers. Organic farming is less intensive and requires different farming methods. Insecticides and pesticides are not used in the same way as in traditional farming. This all adds to the cost.

There has been a great uptake and a lot of interest in the organic farming sector. The Minister of State outlined how the sector is growing. There are now 2,127 organic operators. No doubt, this growth has been stimulated by the organic farming scheme. The value of the organic market in Ireland grew by 24% in 2016 to €142 million. The growth is in both the domestic and export markets. Irish consumers spent €31 per capitaon organic produce in 2015, which is up 23% on the previous year. In Switzerland, however, the comparable figure for the same year is approximately €220 per capita. Therefore, this is an area where there could be considerable growth in Ireland.

Organic farming fits in very well with our international image of green and clean. This is very much promoted by Bord Bia through the Origin Green initiative. I welcome the fact that Bord Bia had a strong presence in Munich recently at a food fair that is one of the biggest showcases of organic food. As in all areas of farming, we are anxious to find new markets and build up our trade outside the country. Bord Bia plays an essential, commendable and successful role in this regard. This is evident not only in the organic sector but also in the agrifood sector. There has been significant annual growth in our exports in the past seven years. For this to continue, we must keep finding new markets.

It costs farmers more to engage in organic farming given the associated practicalities. I agree with Senator Paul Daly that an issue arises in regard to sheep and beef production in that farmers are not able to source organic feed here. This is an impediment and it requires farmers to grow their own feed, if they can. That is a considerable ask. It makes quite a demand on land and land use and it is a challenge.

Now that the organic farming scheme is closed to new applicants, how can we encourage more people to become involved and step across to organic farming? What will bridge the gap for those who have missed out? All the money under the rural development programme has been committed at this juncture. Commendably, the target of bringing 16,000 ha of new land into organic production has been well exceeded, as the Minister of State has outlined. There are actually 46,000 ha of converted land. What practical steps can be taken to support farmers in this regard? I welcome the funding made available through the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, which has assisted farmers. Is Bord Bia our main means of marketing our products?

I wish to raise an issue on which I have been in communication with the Minister, Deputy Creed. It relates to organic farming but is bigger than that. I refer to the matter of the insecticide flupyradifurone, which is being developed by Bayer. The company was seeking permission to license, distribute and sell the product in this country. A number of concerns have been expressed in regard to its impact on food production and biodiversity. It has been stated it poses a particular threat to the honeybee. If this insecticide were banned, it would not be the first. I point in particular to DDT, which was very harmful, as we learned after it was banned. What is the State's view on this? I acknowledge there are many differing views but there is a body of scientific data expressing concern over the use of flupyradifurone. What is the State's intention regarding its use?