Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to second the Leader's proposal with regard to this important legislation. We have brought forward legislation that we believe will play an important part in trying to fix a problem that needs to be addressed. Within the horticulture industry, 17,000 people are affected by this issue. We need to have movement and to make sure that these people have a viable income and that their families can survive.

Last night, I spoke at an IFA meeting close to my home town, which was attended by over 100 people. Rarely in my entire life have I seen such despondency in a room. Never has the farming community been so berated in so many ways. There were young farmers talking about walking away from farming and having no more to do with the land because of what is happening in agriculture. This stuck with me today on my way here from Cork. There are major changes here in terms of CAP reform and nitrates action plans. This debate is about the licensing of peat in order that we can have a horticulture industry that will be viable going forward. We need a more plugged-in approach to what is happening on the ground when it comes to the agricultural community. It is important to acknowledge that this flux in the horticultural community has been there since 2019.

In many ways we have failed to grasp the nettle and bring forward appropriate primary legislation that would resolve this issue. Appropriate primary legislation has come forward this afternoon. It is exactly what we need on the ground. We could potentially have an economic, if not a food security, crisis going forward because of the way agriculture is going and the feeling within the agriculture community that it is better to walk away from it. That is a huge issue for society and a massive issue for Government. I do not think that has been realised. It certainly is not being dealt with. The situation is compounded by commentary in the media, with some MEPs saying that there should be no access to credit for farmers. That is degrading the farming community to a level which is beyond belief. It is not appropriate. We need to start speaking up our agricultural community, instead of speaking it down.

This Bill is brought forward to try to give some hope to the farming community when it comes to horticulture. Horticulture is a vibrant part of our society. It is something we always take pride in. It brings so much to our economy. It provides 17,000 jobs. Horticulture is in almost every parish in our communities. We are now saying that owing to a shortage of peat it must be imported from the Baltic states or Sri Lanka. One-to-one that is exceptionally hard to explain.In fact, it is impossible to explain. It is because of that issue that we need to introduce this primary legislation.

We have spoken about European law and what is required. The Leader has clarified that issue and that the proposed primary legislation is appropriate for providing what is required. It moves away from the statutory instrument, which was thrown out by the courts because it was not strong enough.

We are trying to give these people a future. We are trying to ensure that the small degree of peat extraction they have been doing for generations can continue. Otherwise, we will see something that we should be proud of vanishing from the face of the Earth. That is not appropriate. We know that technology will play a large part in finding the solution, but we also know that it could take a decade for that to happen. That is the evidence that we on the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine have received. It could take anything up to a decade for the so-called futuristic product that we have talked about to be online. A great deal of research is badly needed if we are to get to where we need to be, but there is no product at the moment that can sustainably do what is already being done.

We must discuss publishing the report's recommendations. It has been a bugbear for many people that we put taxpayers' money into the working group's report and recommendations and they have not been published yet. I welcome that the report's publication will be announced next week. That is an important step because, without publication, we would be hammering ourselves against a haystack. It would make no sense. We are going nowhere without publication. With the report's publication, though, we will be able to see what the recommendations are, what is required and how the industry is to go forward. Until it is published, though, we will in many ways be in the dark. The publication of the report is an important step forward for the industry.

I have met the industry several times. It is amazing to think that this industry of all industries has been importing a natural product from a Baltic state to, in the industry's opinion, stay alive since last September. If there was a suitable product in Ireland, surely the industry would use it. That would be the normal course of action. There is not a suitable product, though, so the industry has to import.

Last night's meeting rattled me because I had never seen so many young people in a hall. Confidence has drained out of the industry. Peat and forestry were mentioned. They are core industries and we need them to have futures. We must have a future for our young people in agriculture but they do not have that future at the moment, nor will they until we give clear guidance on how we are going to deliver it. I hope that this debate is the start of the process. We need clarity and a roadmap and we need to show how this industry and the families involved can survive. Unfortunately, without that clarity and roadmap, those families will leave the land. What I heard about at last night's meeting will happen in every parish around Ireland. Young families and young people will leave farming because the Government failed to provide a roadmap.

These are challenging times and we need to find a solution to the challenges. The farming community is up to that job, but the only way it can succeed is if we have the roadmap. I hope that the Bill is the start of that process.