Ian Marshall (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the support for agriculture in yesterday's budget, with an extra €57 million to support the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This will support suckler cows and areas of natural constraint, ANC. After speaking outside Leinster House last week to the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, and farmers who were protesting, be under no illusion that the industry still has many challenges. It is welcome that the Minister renewed the stock relief mechanisms and income averaging in an industry which has historically been plagued with extreme volatility. Acknowledgement must also be given to the extension of the stamp duty relief for young farmers. Agriculture presents itself as an industry dogged by businesses being asset rich and cash poor. Individuals often work in isolation, being self-employed in small enterprises. It is important that we defend all of these self-employed businesses.

I refer to Senator Butler's comments yesterday and commend him on them. He eloquently described the pressures and concerns within self-employed businesses. It is a lonely place when one is self-employed. We must endeavour to protect these people at all times and apply additional mechanisms, especially in times of adversity.

Central Statistics Office, CSO, figures indicate that small and medium enterprises, SMEs, make up 93% of exports to the UK, with over half of them having fewer than ten employees. Therein lies part of the problem with our Brexit discussion. However, as Robert Burns wrote:

The best laid schemes of mice and men

Go often askew...

Brexit is the elephant in the room.