Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking time to attend this morning. It is much appreciated. I also thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for selecting this matter. I know he understands the importance of this particular issue to the constituency in which he and I live.

Last week, the Government relaxed the rules on working permits for individuals from outside of the European Economic Area, EEA. This will have beneficial consequences for a number of sectors, including horticulture, which I raised in the House some weeks ago. Other sectors which will benefit include construction and haulage. However, the poultry sector and pig operators have been left out of the permit scheme. They are disappointed and feel they have been forgotten. They believe their sector could be in trouble because it has not been included in the scheme. Unfortunately, their best efforts to recruit workers from the resident and indigenous workforce have proved unsuccessful and they have been forced to go down the road of trying to get workers from outside the EEA.

Poultry farmers in Monaghan believe this is not a national issue because the poultry industry is located primarily in the county and that perhaps that is the reason they have been left out. County Monaghan has gained a positive global reputation in many sectors. I would be here for the rest of the day listing them for the Minister of State. One of those sectors is the poultry industry. Monaghan is, in many ways, the home of that industry. To give some facts, of the 413 poultry meat sites in the country, 240 are located in County Monaghan and 184 of the 186 egg production sites in the country are also located in the county. Farmers in Monaghan tell us that it is not only minimum wage jobs they are seeking to fill and that they need a specialised workforce. Unfortunately, they cannot recruit this workforce locally and are forced to go down this road.

It is worth noting in the week that is in it, with COP26 and the Government’s announcement today of the carbon action plan, that the poultry industry has the lowest carbon footprint of any meat sector. As such, it has serious potential for growth, not just in County Monaghan but throughout the country. I am giving a voice to the poultry farmers of Monaghan and I hope their plea, which I am making on their behalf today, will be advanced by the Department and the sector will get the work permits it needs to ensure business continues and the sector achieves further growth. I look forward to the Minister of State’s response.