Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This section just deals with training. The Minister will be familiar with it. This is the kernel of this important Bill. We do need training and I will loosely speak on the issue. We do need upskilling. We have ICOS Skillnet from the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, we have the Irish Farmers' Association, IFA and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA, and all the agricultural bodies. There are green certs and other education and we incentivise farmers in compliance with EU regulations. This is about healthy soils, healthy animals, animal welfare, traceability, transparency, and compliance. These are all the issues the Minister has covered in great detail.

I do not want to keep interrupting because we are running at a good pace here today, but I do believe that we need to be mindful of the need for upskilling and education around many aspects of this. Farmers want to be on the right side of it. Veterinarians want to be on the right side of all of this legislation when it is passed. The focus needs to be on training through agricultural colleges, from our environmental schemes and from the users on the land. It is about animal welfare and animal health. It is also about the health of our soil and ultimately it is about the viability and sustainability of our farms and our farm incomes. I ask the Minister to consider, in the broader context of this legislation, how we can use opportunities for training to assist people to carry out all of the aspects of this legislation.