Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like many other Senators, I welcome the Minister. I greatly admire his approach of meeting farmers and speaking with them, which is vital. For many years, we got it wrong and we spoke down to farmers. In that context, the Minister's approach is very important. I met about a dozen farmers for a chat a few evenings ago in a park near Ballinasloe in south County Roscommon. They are all suckler-to-beef farmers, with 60 or 70 acres, some good land and some bad. They rely on farm payments. Every one of the 14 people I met gave me one clear message, namely, that they want to help out. Some of them spoke about when their fathers before them grew small volumes of grain. One issue that irritates them a great deal relates to the argument - I have noticed this myself - that we cannot grow grain because nobody will mill it. I assure the House that if farmers start growing grain, there will be people to mill it because Irish people will rally to the cause and do what is necessary. As has been reiterated numerous times during this debate, the war has taught us the value of self-sufficiency. I have spoken to the Minister throughout my time in politics about the horrendous levels of importation of vegetables and fruit, some of which, of course, we cannot grow in this country. I read recently that we import almost €80 million worth of apples. We have perhaps the greatest climate in the world. Our Bramley apples are known throughout the world and are far nicer than any other apples. There are many things that can be done.

I, too, acknowledge the way the Minister has accepted that pig producers are in a lot of bother. They have proposed a very good deal and they are not seeking a handout, as another Senator said. Rather, they are looking for a helping hand and we need to pay back some of that money. We should remember that through the years, when pig producers have got into bother, they have really come together, got themselves out of bother and traded well again. I appreciate that this is a focus of the Minister's at the moment and that he will do his best for them.

We have to grow more grain. We cannot rely on places such as Russia and Ukraine. I would love even to see beet production brought back. That might not happen, or perhaps under the new CAP we will look at it differently from a European perspective. The will is there. People see this now as a crisis and they will produce food. We can produce even more good food for other parts of the world.