Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise an issue which is linked to the situation in Ukraine and the knock-on effect that is going to have on our economy over the next 12 months. I would like the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to come in to discuss the effects it is going to have on food, fuel and fertiliser. This is going to have a significant impact on our agriculture sector in particular going forward. Much of the fertiliser we import comes from Ukraine, as well as grain, barley and wheat. All of those are grown in that country. If those crops are not sown shortly, as they need to be, then we are going to have an issue over the next 12 months. We need to look at that.

Do we need to put schemes in place for more tillage to be sown in our own country, to make sure we have a supply for our food industry? That is very important. We import the grain, wheat and barley to produce goods to export. However, if we are not going to be able to access that raw product what effect is that going to have on our agriculture sector? It is important that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine should come in, if possible, to discuss this issue and see what we are putting in place for our agricultural and food producing sectors for the next 12 months. Now is the time to deal with it, not in six months' time.

I mentioned fuel. I got a picture from a family member who is in the bus industry. It is the first sign I have seen, it was somewhere in north Dublin, of €2 for a litre of plus petrol. That is the first instance of €2 and that is where we are heading with regard to our fuel. We are going to have to seriously look at the rebate scheme, extending or expanding that rebate scheme with regard to fuel for transportation, our haulage and bus industries. The reality is, many companies such as bus companies have contracts for school transport and they are losing money on it because of the costs. We have to deal with those issues.