Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This morning I welcome the announcement from yesterday of the opening of the 2024 scheme of investment for the horticulture industry. It was announced by our own Minister of State, Senator Hackett. I have been a long advocate, as I know Senator Boyhan has, for the horticultural sector and its importance. We all acknowledge and realise that the sector has been falling behind colossally in some situations. Energy costs are a huge issue in the production of commercial horticultural products and therefore this €10 million scheme is very important. I would like to see this going further. Even though I knew there was a deficit, recently, I was shocked to realise that last year this country spent €80 million to import apples. We have the best climate in the world for growing apples, but we are importing €80 million worth of apples. It is nearly impossible to get an Irish tomato, and I think they are the nicest tomatoes in the world. North County Dublin was really famous for them. However, the cost of running glasshouses is now extremely difficult for people who used to grow them.

For years Bord na Móna ran trials on growing blueberries, which grow perfectly in Irish bogs yet we spent more than €30 million to import them last year. If you look at the labels in the supermarket this afternoon, you will see that they are from Peru, Brazil and all parts of South America. We are importing them here, but we can grow them perfectly.

The issue of our carbon count comes in here, as does the environment. We need to bring in financial supports to pay the people who produce these crops. They cannot produce them because of their costs. I will finish on this point. It would make perfect sense to pay them increased subsidies in order to produce those crops here at home. Can you imagine those cargos coming from South America when we are all speaking about our carbon count? Given all the damage that is being done bringing those from South America, it would make perfect sense to bring in extra grants here for those crops, so that we can grow them at home, where we can grow them perfectly well.