Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

I want to convey my sympathy to the family of Jim Finucane, who has passed away. I knew him for many years. Jim was a councillor in Kerry. Indeed, the Cathaoirleach would have known him well. I campaigned with Jim in Dublin many years ago and I knew him very well over the years. I wanted to say that but there will be further occasions for this.

I will turn to the issue of an excellent Teagasc briefing in Buswells Hotel which the Leader attended with me this morning. It is a great tribute to Teagasc that it holds an annual briefing to let Oireachtas Members see what it is doing. Two very important issues arose today. One was the whole question of water quality and the nitrates derogation. The nitrates derogation is crucial to farmers. The Commissioner will be in Ireland on a listening mission this Friday and I hope she will realise what is at issue here - first, that water quality in Ireland is improving and very serious steps have been taken under the leadership of Teagasc and, second, that it is crucial to farm incomes that we have the nitrates derogation in this country.

That neatly links to the second issue, because if you do not have income, viability and sustainability, you cannot have succession, or it is not of interest to have succession. The question of succession arose today. One very heartening thing to hear is that women are entering agriculture in the same way as men, as should be the case, and that any taboo, inhibition or traditional reluctance on the part of women to become farmers and takeover family farms has diminished considerably. That is good. In general, the succession issue is important and every strategy should be put in place to deal with it. I ask the Leader that we have a debate on succession and the strategies to achieve it. There are many well-being issues and income issues. There is the cost of succession and the fear of the various costs associated with it.There is one thing I thought of that could be in the mix for our discussion. It is no longer in vogue but when there was a financial incentive in the past for farmers by the way of a pension, an income or an honorarium, to give up the farm to the next generation, that helped. However, there are a number of tax incentives there. I hope we can have a debate at some point on the question of succession in agriculture, on the need for the nitrates derogation in Ireland and on agriculture in general.

One final point that came up today was the mental health of farmers and their well-being. That is very important. One of my own sons has done study in this area. The well-being of farmers is a really important sphere. Of its nature, farming can be a lonely profession.