Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for selecting this most important matter. I would also like to welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to the House and thank him for his presence. It indicates his absolute commitment to agriculture, horticulture and the potato sector that he has come here to respond to this Commencement matter.Part of the context for raising this question is that I am a member of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as the Minister is aware. We have had some discussion about this issue, if not a great deal. I have also received a substantial amount of correspondence from growers and farmers, and especially from Donegal. As the Minister will be aware, it is an important county for the production of potatoes, and specifically of seed potatoes. In the next few weeks, I intend to travel to Raphoe to see such an operation. I am sure the Minister is fully aware of it.

I also speak about this issue in the context of the national agrifood sector and the strategy in that regard, including the horticulture strategy, as well as rural development, rural communities and the rural economy. I refer to all those issues together because I do not think they can be separated. The Minister and I know the potato industry is facing a potential crisis. If we do not resolve the issues concerning seed potatoes, then we are going to have problems. To give some background information, and the Minister will know this, approximately 9,000 ha of seed potatoes are planted in Ireland every year, requiring approximately 20,000 tonnes of seed potatoes. These are sourced from certified home-grown, imported and farm-saved seeds. The main varieties of potatoes produced here are Roosters, followed by Kerrs Pinks, Maris Pipers, Queens, Records and Golden Wonders, to name just a few.

It is a significant industry, and one that we should be ambitious about and endeavouring to grow. My focus in asking the Minister about this matter today is on the fallout from Brexit. As a result of the UK's decision to leave the EU and to end the Brexit transition period from 1 January 2021, the import of seed potatoes from Great Britain into the EU is now prohibited. That is a fact. The UK applied to the EU for third-party equivalence for the export of certified seed potatoes, but the EU refused the application because the UK's plant health regulations are "not dynamically aligned with the EU’s legislation". This means that the main concern for potato growers now centres on the supply of seed potatoes.

Having gleaned information from correspondence that I have seen from the Secretary General of the Minister's Department, I understand that the Department will actively and significantly support the production of the mini-tubers through the Tops potato propagation centre in Raphoe in County Donegal and others. I also understand that all necessary resources will be supplied by the Minister's Department to ensure that an adequate supply of mini-tubers is made available to the industry. I would like to hear a little bit about that aspect.

Returning to the key issue, there is a question about the supply of seed potatoes. What do farmers want? They want certainty, and they want it now. This is the time when they are planning their sowing schedules. This concerns the agrifood sector, and involves supporting the horticultural sector, the Irish brand potato and rural communities. Ultimately, in the broader perspective, we need a bigger strategy for the coming years to enable us to develop our own seed potential and our own seed production industry and to grow it. I am not happy enough, and neither I think is the Minister, for us to just sustain our current level of growth and investment in this area. We want to grow this industry as a part of the food sector on this green island of Ireland. I look forward to hearing the Minister's response.