Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Heydon, for the debate on the Private Members' motion on agriculture.

Before I call the first speaker, I welcome Councillor John Michael Foley and his father John Foley to the audience. They are very welcome and I hope they enjoy the proceedings this evening. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House.

The time limits for the debate are that the combined speeches of the proposer and seconder shall not exceed 16 minutes and all other Senators have six minutes each. I call Senator Paraic Brady to move the motion, which will be seconded by Senator P.J. Murphy and they will share time. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I move:

That Seanad Éireann: acknowledges:

- the importance of agriculture to rural Ireland and the Irish economy;

- the thousands of jobs in farming, agriculture and food production sectors;

- the dependency in many years on the weather to profits in farming;

- the importance of food security to a growing world population;

- the key role that the Common Agriculture Payment plays in Irish farming;

- the importance of the nitrates derogation to Irish farming, particularly dairying;

- the establishment of the Cabinet subcommittee on water quality;

- the research role of Teagasc and promotional role of Bord Bia to assist in developing Irish agriculture;

notes:

- the recent publication of the Bovine TB Action Plan;

- the recent negotiation of the Mercosur free trade agreement;

- the European Commission proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF);

- the establishment of the scheme to recognise ‘Forgotten Farmers’;

- the commitments to agriculture in the Programme for Government; and

calls on the Government to:

- continue to invest in farming and rural Ireland;

- engage proactively on the MMF to secure the best deal for Irish agriculture;

- continue to engage in the development of new markets for Irish food products;

- act on the recommendations of the Commission on Generational Renewal;

- continue to do everything possible to secure Ireland’s nitrates derogation in recognition of our pasture based farming system;

- proceed with introducing planning exemptions to increase slurry storage;

- address the particular challenges in the Irish tillage sector at present;

- increase scheme supports for the suckler, beef and sheep sectors;

- support the Areas of Natural Constraints to farmers in marginal areas and on designated lands;

- support capital investments in the poultry and pig sectors to improve animal health and welfare;

- increase capital investment in horticulture and continue to invest in organics and in traditional farm buildings.

PJ Murphy (Fine Gael)
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I second the motion.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber. As he knows, the agricultural sector is well represented in the House by me and my colleagues. The farming sector feels it is the first time it has ever had a strong voice. We are glad to have the Minister as head of the agricultural sector. Last week, the National Ploughing Championships showcased what the agricultural sector is all about, what it supports and, really and truly, the impact it has on rural Ireland. It is a very strong industry that has to be supported. Agriculture is important to the sustainability of rural Ireland and rural families.

There are several key areas. The value of food, drink and horticultural exports reached a record of €17 billion in 2024, a 5% increase on the previous year. This is something we must welcome. The UK remains our largest single market, accounting for €5.9 billion. International markets outside of the EU and the UK brought in €5.2 billion, with North America alone contributing €2 billion, a 14% increase that we must not see lightly. With regard to projected growth in the market, it is estimated that the value of Irish agricultural exports will reach approximately €2.7 billion in 2025. The figures are for raw agricultural produce only. The one thing we must recognise is that every €1 we give the farming community turns into €4 to €6 of an investment in local communities.

I will touch on a few aspects of agriculture. I welcome the TB task force. It is something on which we have engaged with the Minister in recent years. The Minister has listened to farming communities and their concerns. Everyone wants to see a reduction in the number of reactors in the sector. It is probably at an all-time high, which is unfortunate, and it is now in the remit of the Minister. I hope the new task force will deal with it, and I am sure it will. As I have said, the Minister has engaged with the farming communities. He has listened to their concerns and to ours regarding ways we can reduce TB in the national herd. He has implemented this in the new scheme. There is one part of the scheme that I hope the Minister will reconsider. The valuation of a reactor when it comes down is a maximum of €3,000. The Minister has given a commitment that he will look at this, and I hope it will be looked at. Certainly, it is an area where we need to see an increase. I welcome the rest of the scheme.

The forgotten farmer scheme is very welcome. The issue has thrashed on for a long number of years whereby, since 2013, a number of farmers have not been allowed to receive a payment under the CAP as it is now. I welcome that the Minister has engaged with this scheme and it is there for young farmers to take up. It is certainly something that has eased the burden among this cohort of farmers. A certain percentage will not fit into the scheme but the Minister has single-handedly addressed this issue, and I welcome this.

I will touch slightly on the Mercosur trade deal. Any trade deal and trade for our exports is to be welcomed. There is one part of the Mercosur trade deal that concerns every farmer and that is with regard to the beef sector. I emphasise that I am not one bit afraid of Brazilian imports coming into this country. As we have seen, the United States has in recent days encouraged farmers in the beef sector to produce more. It is looking at 3 million cows. Brazil has asked its farmers to produce more. At this moment in time, beef is in scarcity. Until we realise, not only in Europe, but throughout the world, that we must protect our food sources and put strategic infrastructure in the beef sector and other areas, we will end up with a case where we have a growing population but we cannot produce enough food. We will be looking at producing food in factories. Some of our colleagues were in factories in Europe last week, seeing whether we could feed a world population with lab-grown food, which is ridiculous in this day and age.

Everyone will be happy with the Mercosur deal if beef imports meet the same stringent regulations that we have to meet as regards the beef leaving our country, the EU gives a firm commitment that the auditors who will audit the beef imports will visit the farms and processors in South American countries on a regular basis, and these farmers adhere to the standards to which our farmers do. If this commitment is given, we can certainly compete because, as everybody knows, we have a grass-based system in this country.We have farmers who produce beef, lamb, chicken and pork to the highest of standards, better than any other country in the world. Our produce is sought after all over the world and our exports in weanlings and beef have increased over the past number of years, especially this year. We have seen the weanling trade almost triple compared to what it was last year, which says our EU competitors are happy to buy our produce at the quality we have produced it, with our traceability and our genetics.

There are a couple of other areas we would like to touch on, such as capital investment in farming and slurry storage. I welcome the slurry storage initiative. There are certain other areas my colleague Senator Murphy will come in on and some of the rest of the Senators want to speak on. I thank the Minister for engaging with us as colleagues. He has listened to us in the past regarding where we intend to go and what the future for agriculture in Ireland is.

I have some figures with me. We have to support what is the industry in this country. When we were in trouble in the last recession, it was the farming industry and our farmers who took us out of it. It is the one area this country relies on day in and day out. I thank the Minister for all the support he has put in during his Ministry so far and I look forward to working with him in the future. There are concerns but I am sure we can work through them going forward.

PJ Murphy (Fine Gael)
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The Minister is very welcome here today and I thank him for coming to the Seanad this evening. Like my colleague Senator Brady, I believe this is a very positive motion with largely positive amendments. There are just a few points in the motion I would like to touch on.

No more than my colleague Senator Brady, the first thing I would like to touch on is the bovine tuberculosis action plan. In 2024, as the Minister will know, over 41,600 reactors were disclosed in Ireland, which was a 44% increase when compared with 2023. This was on top of a 24% increase between 2022 and 2023. If this trend continues, reactor numbers will increase unchecked into the future. More than 6,000 farm families were affected by these bovine tuberculosis outbreaks in 2024. This, as the Minister will know, is a huge cause of stress for the affected farming families. Not only is it a financial stress but there is also the anxiety associated with having a reactor in one's herd.

The loss of milk revenues to the dairy industry alone was estimated at 145 million litres in 2024. This would add up to an approximate loss of €70 million at the farm gate, and approximately €110 million of a loss in export revenue. A total of €100 million in excess from the national Exchequer was spent tackling bovine tuberculosis in 2024. An additional €8 million was spent by farmers themselves on their own herd testing measures.

We are talking about huge losses due to bovine tuberculosis and one of the key actions identified as a means of tackling that is a reduction in the impact of wildlife on the spread of bovine tuberculosis. The introduction of a national deer cull is a very positive step to that but we have a huge amount of work to do there. Keeping the deer population in check nationally is something that was neglected for many years and there is a massive body of work to be done to bring that back to where it should be. Regarding badger vaccination, I am living and farming in a badger vaccinating area and bovine tuberculosis numbers have never been so high. It appears that it is not working and is something we need to reconsider or re-examine.

Moving onto something else that my colleague touched on regarding tuberculosis is the compensation or valuation of the affected animals. I have in front of me a valuation slip from just this past August from a farmer in County Clare who had 14 continental cattle tuberculosis reactors. An independent valuer assigned by the Department of agriculture came out and valued those animals at between €3,100 and €4,200. A maximum value could be paid to that farmer of €3,000 per animal. For the 14 animals in question, that farmer was at a loss of €10,500 compared to what he would have received in the mart. That is a serious flaw in our valuation and compensation system and something I urge the Minister to look into as soon as possible.

The next thing I want to have a look at is rural development and, in particular, LEADER funding. To date, LEADER funding has come from Pillar 2 of the CAP. In the LEADER tranche from 2024 to 2027, the project budget nationally is €240 million. My own area in east Galway, between 2007 and 2013, received €13 million in project funding. Between 2014 and 2022, that was reduced to €7.6 million and from 2023 to 2027, it was further reduced to €4.1 million. LEADER is one of the few sources of funding for small community projects in many parts of rural Ireland and I sincerely hope that this funding will be protected in the new CAP.

Touching on the development of markets, as beef farmers, we all have a fear of what might potentially happen to the industry due to the Mercosur agreement but it is very positive to see the Department of agriculture combating this in advance to try to replace any lost sale of beef from our sector elsewhere. We provide a premium product here in Ireland and what we are looking at potentially importing through Mercosur is not that premium product. I am delighted to see the Department now has people based in Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Geneva, London, Mexico, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Seoul and Washington DC, all trying to expand the markets for our premium products. I am delighted to see that we are working ahead of Mercosur on that to identify potential outlets for any loss of sales that might occur as a result of this agreement.

The next thing I want to touch on is generation renewal. Back in the 1990s, we introduced the farm retirement scheme, which was progressive at the time. It was a means of encouraging older farmers to step aside and make way for the next generation to come in. It was a flawed scheme in many ways, though, in that the older farmers in question were forbidden from staying involved in the day-to-day management and working on the farms they had run throughout their working lives.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister. It is good to see him in the House. It is always good to have the opportunity to talk about agriculture. I am not going to repeat all the 11 asks Fine Gael has put in its Private Members' Bill. I thank the party for bringing this Private Members' business before us today. All those asks are, of course, in the programme for Government. There is nothing contentious about any of that. Well done and I wish Members well in pursuing their colleagues in government over its implementation. Cut and pasted today, every line of this was in the programme for Government, so there is no dispute over it. The Government is hopefully here to stay for a few years and will have plenty of time to implement it. I genuinely wish everyone well.I want to single out some key issues that are pertinent to this debate. I will use my time wisely. I thank the IFA, ICMSA, ICSA and various other farm organisations for their collective collaboration and advocacy in relation to their field.

A number of Senators here are on the joint agriculture committee, including myself. We have just come from a reasonably robust debate, as always in agriculture and politics, about tillage. The Minister will be aware of the Killashee Hotel. A vast number of people came out to that hotel in the heart of the Minister's constituency of Kildare South and articulated many views on the tillage sector. I will not go into them at great length. There are conflicting views between the IFA and the Irish Grain Growers on the funding required. The IFA advocated today for €65 million and the Irish Grain Growers advocated for €92 million per annum over five years. There is a big difference between those two figures from two representative groups in the sector. That is a big bridge to cross and a challenge for the Minister.

One of the key takeaways was this. I tried to cut to the chase and asked both of them in the committee less than an hour ago to give me three goals they wanted us to achieve for them and the sector. We do not need chapter and verse. We could write books about policy but I asked for a simple message and takeaway. One thing repeated by everybody was about the report on Food Vision 2030, the importance and significance of the objectives the Minister and others have signed up to in relation to the tillage group and how that will be rolled out. I am familiar with the dashboard and commend the Minister and Department on putting it in place. I want to drop that back in to the Minister. He will know about it anyway but it is important and I want to reiterate that commitment.

There are some other key messages I want to share. They talked about the ask and I have spoken about that. The Irish Grain Growers is crystal clear in what it is asking. The Minister has clearly had discussions with the organisation. The representatives raised the issue of the quality of this gold standard grain. This is pertinent to distilleries. They mentioned the branding and marketing of this unique gold standard grain for Ireland, and the added value of that. We see the challenges around the American market and tariffs, but how can we differentiate? Of course, we have challenges with imports of other grains and we do not produce enough grain for our own needs in terms of feed and everything. The Minister knows that so I will not go into great detail.

We need to look at tax reliefs. There is a great expectation on the Minister. Some of his parliamentary colleagues spoke of him, his work and the expectation on him to deliver for farmers. That is a matter for him and I do not expect him to talk about budgetary matters today but it is important.

I like to go into talks and make an ask and I want to make an ask of the Minister. It relates to the Comptroller and Auditor General. He issued a report yesterday that I had a look at today. Chapter 14 is about the bovine TB eradication programme. There are many critical aspects to it. They are far-reaching and factual. It is a significant office in the monitoring of departmental performances. He makes four recommendations. The first is that "The Department should review the target for eradication in order to ensure it remains appropriate and realistic" and provide "a revised long-term timeline for eradication". Second, "The Department should consider designing a comprehensive set of performance measures which are achievable and relevant to the strategic aims of the bovine TB eradication programme." Third, "The Department should consider adopting measures such as aligning the payment of compensation to effective biosecurity measures." Finally, "The Department should ensure that it is in full compliance with the minimum requirements specified in SI 58/2015" and it goes on.

What are interesting are the responses from the Department. The Department's response to this report, which was circulated to all Oireachtas Members in the past 24 hours, talked about the first quarter of 2026 to look at the recommendations. I am not criticising that but I am asking the Minister to take on board the need for resources to deal with this matter. There are clearly funding, resources and commitments called for in this document. The Minister is giving a commitment and that is great. It is the first quarter of 2026. My ask is that the Minister keep the focus on and the resources in place to deliver the Comptroller and Auditor General's reasonable requests on the bovine TB eradication programme. I thank the Minister for his time.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Sheanadóir. The Minister has indicated he would like to intervene now. He has the floor.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Chathaoirligh agus a Sheanadóirí. I am pleased to be in the Upper House to contribute to this important debate. I thank all Members of the Seanad who tabled this Private Members' motion on agriculture and have given us this opportunity to air a really important topic for our whole country, not just our rural economy, though it is the bedrock of that. I thank those who have contributed already for the points made. I will go through a number of key issues in my brief.

Reflecting back to when I was appointed Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, one of my priorities outlined at the start was to communicate a fresh understanding of what our farmers and the food industry contribute to Irish society and our economy. The roots of the sector run deep. There is not a parish in the country that is not enriched by the contribution of farmers or where some small business does not depend on the sector for its existence.

We are living through a time of immense change and agriculture has not been immune to that, but we should never take our food or the people who produce it for granted. That is why this Government is committed to supporting the sector. I therefore welcome the opportunity to address Senators on a range of issues facing the sector, and I will try to touch on as many as possible. Some have been raised already and some will be raised afterwards.

My Department provides a range of supports to the sector with estimated total expenditure of €3.3 billion in 2025, including €2.1 billion in Exchequer funding and €1.2 billion in direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy. The primary vehicle for supporting the sector over the medium term is the CAP. It is the driver for the transformation of Irish agriculture since our accession to the EU and it is as essential today as it was then. The Irish CAP strategic plan, CSP, has a significant budget of €9.8 billion over five years. More than 60% of that, just under €6 billion, is targeted at supporting farm incomes. Over €3.7 billion has been paid out since the start of 2023 on CAP schemes. This equates to an annual average payment of over €15,000 per farmer for all CAP-funded claims. To date, Ireland has the highest drawdown of funding for the CSP of all EU states. Of course, the CAP is not the only lever; it is supplemented by regulation, industry intervention and other Government intervention at national level to achieve the series of objectives set out in our shared vision for the future of Irish agriculture, Food Vision 2030.

The EU Commission proposals for the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, and CAP for 2028 to 2034 signal a significant change to the structure of the EU budget. The proposed structure of the next CAP looks quite different from what we have now. The proposals for the next MFF include a guaranteed minimum ring fence of almost €300 billion for CAP. The obvious concern is this represents only 80% of the budget in the current MFF, which is €387 billion. My focus is on working closely with EU institutions and my counterparts in other member states to influence these ongoing negotiations. There is a long way to go and I see these proposals as an important starting point. It is my intention to seek an increase in funding to ensure an adequate allocation for Ireland as we progress through the detailed budget negotiations, which must be agreed by the Heads of State and Government in the European Council.

Looking at trade and markets beyond the EU, recent geopolitical developments have been a stark reminder of the volatility in global markets. They have served to underline the importance of the Irish agrifood sector as our largest indigenous exporting sector, one which has a strong well-earned international reputation as a supplier of high-quality, safe, nutritious and sustainably produced food and beverages. Our export markets are reasonably well balanced between the UK at 38% of export value and the EU market at 34%, while markets outside Europe account for the remaining 28%. Market diversification plays an important role in facilitating producers and businesses to navigate the current changing trade environment. Government is committed to maintaining and strengthening long-established relationships with existing markets and diversifying opportunities to deepen relationships with new and emerging high-growth markets.

Trade missions play an important role in this work and I most recently led a trade mission to the US earlier this year, taking in important visits to Washington DC, Kentucky and Chicago. I remain committed to amplifying the promotion of agrifood trade in existing and new markets through collaboration with Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and our overseas embassy network. The issue of Mercosur was raised earlier. As a sector, agriculture for the most part benefits immensely from free trade, given that we export 90% of the food and drink we produce. We consider each trade agreement on its merits, and in all negotiations there will be offensive and defensive points. In relation to Mercosur, though, the Government has been actively engaged with EU counterparts to voice Ireland's concerns about the EU-Mercosur agreement. We have repeatedly emphasised Ireland's requirement for credible, legally binding commitments on matters relating to trade and sustainable development, including climate, biodiversity and deforestation protections. The Government also has concerns about the preferential access given to Mercosur if South American farmers are not subject to the same sustainable farming standards as our farmers. We have repeatedly emphasised that the beef sector, in particular, is a very sensitive one which is vulnerable to negative impacts from the Mercosur agreement. The Commission recently announced its proposed approach to ratification. We will of course examine the proposal in detail to see if it provides any of the additional assurances required. Pending that examination, Ireland's position on the EU-Mercosur agreement remains as clearly outlined in the programme for Government: "Work with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend our interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal."

Closer to home, I know an issue on many farmers' minds is succession and generational renewal. It is critical for the future economic viability and social sustainability of the sector that there is renewal. Every industry needs new blood, but we must also ensure that those who have given a lifetime to the sector and possess so much corporate knowledge are supported. Demographic challenges are not unique to Ireland, and the challenge of attracting young people into farming is recognised at national, EU and global levels. Farm succession is a complex issue and there are many factors that impact farmers' decisions. The Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming was established to examine these issues, and earlier this month I announced publication of its report. It has produced a thorough analysis and made 31 recommendations across a wide range of areas. An implementation group within my Department is now working through and carefully considering the recommendations and will engage with agricultural stakeholders and the relevant public bodies. Ultimately, generational renewal happens at thousands of kitchen tables in farmhouses the length and breadth of the country. What I want to do as Minister is put structures in place that support farm families in the area of succession. That is always a very sensitive discussion, whether there is more than one identified successor or none at all.

An area which will have a significant bearing on generational renewal in many cases is the nitrates derogation. It is of critical importance not just to the farms and families that rely on it but also for the wider agriculture sector and the rural community. We are in the teeth of a renewal process, which requires the development of a new nitrates action programme and making a number of presentations to the nitrates committee, comprised of all member states. To date, three presentations have been made to the committee, the most recent of which was made less than two weeks ago. The derogation is contingent on improving water quality, and I have seen the commitment that is there among farmers and across the sector to that cause all across the country. I met with the European Commissioner for the environment and water resilience, Jessika Roswall, in Brussels last week. She accepted my invitation to Ireland and will come to Ireland in November to view first-hand the collaborative work being done by our agrifood sector to improve water quality. Her planned visit follows a visit by senior officials from the Commission's DG-ENV in recent weeks. It is my firm view that our outdoor, grass-based livestock production system justifies a continuation of our derogation, but we will also have to address compliance with the habitats directive as part of that renewal, which is the first time we have had to do that. We continue to engage intensively with stakeholders and the Commission as part of our efforts to secure a continuance of Ireland's nitrates derogation.

A number of speakers, including Senator Boyhan, have raised the area of tillage, and I know the agriculture committee in the Oireachtas is dealing with that today as well. The tillage sector is of great importance and is a critical part of the agriculture sector, producing high-quality animal feed, bedding and ingredients for the food and drink industry. The sector is facing significant pressures, not least the challenging market outlook and downward price pressure this season. I recently engaged directly with farming organisations and their members to hear their concerns at a very well-attended public meeting that reflected the mood of the sector. I know a number of colleagues in the Seanad were at that meeting on the night. It is Government policy to maintain and increase the area under tillage crops. Recognising the importance of this sector, significant direct supports have been provided to tillage farmers in recent years. In February of this year, I announced €32.4 million in payments under the tillage and horticulture support scheme. The budget for protein aid has increased to €10 million annually from 2024. The straw incorporation measure has an allocation of €50 million over five years. It is a hugely popular scheme among tillage farmers and one I am a major supporter of. Approximately 66,000 ha were submitted for straw chopping in 2025, and I have committed to paying all farmers who have applied under the scheme this year. The tillage sector is also being supported through other schemes, including the farming for water EIP, to which 1,400 tillage farmers have applied, the tillage capital investment scheme, ACRES and the organic farming scheme.

The programme for Government commits to investing significantly in the tillage sector over five years to maintain and grow the sector. This Government will continue to work with the tillage sector and provide targeted Government support where possible, given the importance of the sector. In advance of the forthcoming budget, I will continue to work closely with my colleagues across the Government to ensure that essential, targeted supports are provided where possible.

On the particular points that were raised about the gold standard of Irish grain, there are a lot of things we can do that constitute more medium-term support for the sector beyond just looking at financial supports on an annual basis for the sector. There are elements there that can support the value of Irish grain and its use more broadly, whether it is in animal feed, monetising that for the farmer or the end company or in the area of Irish whiskey, where we are looking at the Irish whiskey technical file.

The drystock sector is a vital part of Irish agriculture. My Department has a wide array of measures and schemes aimed at promoting a viable, resilient and sustainable drystock sector. These supports consist of Exchequer-funded and EU co-funded schemes specifically tailored to farmers engaged in beef, sheep, dairy beef and mixed enterprises. There are three dedicated beef schemes with budget allocations totalling €88 million operational in 2025 and two dedicated sheep schemes with a budget of €42 million. The CSP dairy beef welfare scheme has a budget allocation of €25 million over four years. Taken together, these national and CSP schemes aim to protect family farm incomes while playing a meaningful role in advancing the environmental sustainability of the sector.

In relation to our farmers operating in areas of natural constraints, ANCs, ANC payments are a valuable source of income support for farmers situated in areas of natural and other specific constraints. The aim of the scheme is to support farmers to continue to farm land designated as facing significant hardships due to remoteness, difficult topography, climatic problems and poor soil conditions. The annual indicative financial allocation for the intervention is €250 million. For 2025, advance payments commenced on 17 September with 100% of cleared applicants paid. To date, 89,000 applicants have been paid approximately €189 million.

Senators Brady and P. J. Murphy have rightly raised the point about TB and the huge issue and cause of concern it is here. Reference to the C and AG's report has also been made. It is not the first year the C and AG has made a report, an intervention, on bovine TB. I am very determined, however, that the changes I have made and the plan I have put in place will mean that the huge drain this has been on agriculture Ministers' overall budgets and on farmers and farm families themselves, who have had to bear a huge cost and an emotional toll, will not continue at the current escalating scale.

The programme for Government commits to review and update the national TB 2030 eradication strategy. As a sector, we have been grappling with this issue since the 1960s. Unfortunately, we have seen a significant increase in bovine TB levels nationally in recent years. Over 6,000 farm families were affected by a bovine TB outbreak in 2024, and herd incidence was at 6.04%. I am determined not only to stop this increase but to turn the dial and drive this trend back in a positive direction. Behind each percentage point is another farm family and another farm that is enduring the significant emotional and financial hardship associated with a TB breakdown.

That is why, on 9 September, I launched Bovine TB Action Plan: Addressing Bovine TB in Ireland, which has five measures and 30 actions underpinned by scientific research and veterinary expertise. Those five measures are supporting herds that are free of bovine TB to remain free; reducing the impact of wildlife on the spread of bovine TB; detecting and eliminating bovine TB infection as early as possible in herds with a bovine TB breakdown and avoiding a further breakdown; helping farmers to improve all areas of on-farm biosecurity; and reducing the impact of known high-risk animals in spreading bovine TB. I believe the actions in this plan strike a balance between recognising the practicalities of livestock farming, which I am all too familiar with myself at home, and the necessity to tackle a disease which has been increasing year on year. This action plan represents the single largest reset of the bovine TB programme since its inception to put in place the measures necessary to tackle the current disease situation. It is vital that all necessary measures are taken to reduce disease levels. This has required difficult decisions, but it is important to remember that we need to take these decisions to protect the livelihoods of all farmers. This Government is committed to ongoing constructive engagement with all stakeholders in order to help the farming community, but it is vital that all involved in the programme continue to work together to protect farmers from bovine TB.

As part of the work of the bovine TB forum, a dedicated financial working group was established to review the financial modelling of various elements of the bovine TB eradication programme.As a result of the agreement reached in this group over the past two years, there have been great enhancements to the income supplement scheme, the hardship grant and depopulation grant as well as enhanced ceilings for select animals being removed as part of the On Farm market valuation scheme. In addition, the financial working group also expanded the eligibility criteria under the income supplement scheme and hardship grant schemes. Due to the increased cost of the bovine TB programme in recent years, the focus is on reducing the levels of disease, which will reduce the impact of bovine TB on Irish farm families and reduce the cost of the programme, which has risen to more than €100 million in 2024.

I accept the point the two Senators have made in relation to that cap and the challenges that provides. I have to leave, unfortunately, and cannot remain for the rest of this debate because I have my meeting on the budget with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, very shortly. Everybody who has an interest in agriculture wants that meeting to go as well as possible for me. When I see the impact that TB is having on those negotiations and on my budget ask, it is clear to me the measures I am taking are about making sure we reduce that drain on this Department to free up more money to be spent on other areas of agriculture. I can think of so many other better ways to spend that money proactively supporting our farmers and our farm families.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Seanadóirí for this opportunity to address the motion put forward. I again thank this House for the opportunity to speak on the importance of agriculture to Ireland. I appreciate Senator Daly's allowing me to come in when I did. When the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, takes my place, I will get a full readout of the contributions I will miss later on. I apologise for that but, as I say, I was not going to turn down a budget meeting because I have been waiting a while for one.

Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for being here today. I thank the Fine Gael Senators for tabling this Private Members' motion and giving us the opportunity to discuss the matters in hand with the Minister before the important meeting he is just about to attend. Coming in after Senators Murphy, Brady and Boyhan, there is not a lot left to say. I will briefly go through the motion. I have a small comment to make on each individual area, in no particular order.

Succession and generational renewal are big issues. I welcome the commission. I want to make sure that when the decisions are made on this issue that as much emphasis is put on the young farmer coming in as there is on the farmer who is retiring. We can often look at generational renewal and think if we introduce a retirement scheme, that will solve the problem. We may put in place a pension or retirement payment for the existing farmer but the young farmer will not take it over if there is not a future in it or if money is not invested in that young farmer for capital development or whatever. It was a big ask of the IFA when we met it last week. A young man with the delegates is trying to get into farming and he needs support at that bottom level getting in as much as the farmer who is getting out. It is equally important.

In regard to tillage, as was said earlier, the agriculture committee, which I am on, had a meeting today on the tillage sector. This ties in a little bit with Mercusor. I agree with everything that Senator Brady said about Mercusor. However, the tillage representatives informed us today there are between 750,000 and a million tonnes of genetically modified grain or feed coming in from the Mercusor countries at present. They are not on a level playing field. We need money in next Tuesday's budget to be put into the tillage sector because the sector is in crisis. It was obvious at the National Ploughing Championships. I said it on the Order of Business the other morning. I am a veteran of the ploughing championships and you can tell how farming is going by meeting the people on those three days. The mood was good with the exception of the tillage sector. A rising tide did not lift all boats. Their ask was that we would have a targeted policy from the Government for the use of Irish grain. For example, Irish whiskey does not use or does not have to use Irish grain. That is wrong. They could be selling 300,000 tonnes of malt and barley to the Irish whiskey industry, which is famous all over the world. Much of the grain used to make Irish whiskey is imported. We need to look at that. In fairness, the Minister in his remarks did say they were looking at that file.

The processors, distillers and millers who use the grain have a role to play. A big issue we have going forward is holding on to the derogation. In fairness, the processors on the milk side have rowed in to help to improve water quality because they have a vested interest. The millers, bakers, distillers and brewers have an equally important role to play in rescuing, helping and saving the tillage sector and the grain sector in particular. However, they need money and I believe money will be forthcoming, but it has to be new money. We cannot rob Peter to pay Paul on this one. In my neck of the woods the tillage sector is a mixed kind of a setup. Many people do both beef and tillage and maybe sheep - a little bit of everything. If we say we are not doing the cow payment this year because we are putting the money into tillage, that is taking the money out of the farmer's left hand to put into his right hand and that will not work. It has to be new money.

With regard to the TB valuation figure, as everybody has said, it has to rise. For example, one man losing ten cows because of the disease is not on. That would put a man out of business, especially with the value of cattle now. That has to be revisited. I am an advocate for, and I know the answer is, a vaccination for TB. We can vaccinate the badger and the bovine. Tweaks need to be made with the current vaccination and it would affect our exports but we need to invest in it. Some of the massive amount of money spent on TB will need to be invested in research for a vaccination going forward. If I live long enough, I will be proven right that this will not be solved until there is a vaccination for bovine TB. The vaccination is not up to scratch at the moment but it can be and will be. We were able to create a vaccination for Covid-19 in six months. With a bit of investment and research and the backing of universities and maybe even private labs, it will happen. Money put in that direction might be money well spent.

Beef is going well at the minute, but I read this morning, and this is important, that weanling exporters are talking about boycotting the marts for a week because they are not happy that all the animals they are buying are vaccinated. Some had respiratory problems in animals they bought. No seven people should be able to hold a sector to ransom like that. If the Minister needs to step in, I think he should step in. That is detrimental. Beef is going well but are they going to kill it themselves? In the case of such a threat the Minister may have to step in and talk to the exporters. They are holding the whole sector to ransom. It is a cheap shot just because there was a little bit of a breakout in one of their own herds that was bought and nobody knows how they were housed or anything. The Minister may keep an eye on that one. They are talking about boycotting the marts and not buying any weanlings in the mart from 6 October for seven days.

The derogation affects the whole sector. When talking about agriculture it is hard not to put one sector against another. We go back to the tillage. If we do not hold the derogation, the dairy men are going to leave the land and there is another hit for the tillage sector. It is a domino effect. It is vitally important we hold the derogation.

The initial announcement on CAP was not good but the Minister, Deputy Heydon, said it is only a starting point and we need to get a far better deal before we dot the i's and cross the t's.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I understand that Senators McCormack and Tully are sharing time. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 1:

After the word “notes:” to insert the following paragraph: “- the increase of incidents of Bovine TB which are at record levels;”

I thank the Fine Gael Senators for bringing forward this motion on agriculture. I am a farmer's daughter so I am delighted to have a chance to speak on this debate on agriculture. As the Minister correctly said, it affects everyone in the country, not just the rural community. We all depend on farmers.

I also acknowledge that the amendments tabled by Sinn Féin have been accepted, which is a positive outcome. I am happy that we can work together in the interests of farmers in rural communities. Our two amendments are clear. The first is to note that the incidents of bovine TB are at record levels and to ensure the bovine TB action plan is implemented in a way that takes farmers' concerns seriously, that it is a fully funded plan to provide proper funding so that valuations to reactor cattle reflect true market value. The second is to put on record opposition to the Mercosur trade deal which threatens Irish family farms.

Right now the TB situation is worsening. The reality on the ground for family farms is stark. Bovine TB is spiralling out of control.Last year, over 41,000 cattle were lost. Already this year, we have seen more than 43,000 reactors. For many families, that means years of careful breeding wiped out in a matter of weeks. I spoke recently to a farmer in Laois who told me he had been losing bloodlines that had been on the family farm for generations. That is hard enough, but to top it off he was left with valuations that fell far short of the true value of his animals, sometimes losing €1,000 or more on a single animal. Farmers are committed to eradicating TB. They want to work with the action plan but cannot accept footing the bill themselves or being left out of pocket for losses that are not of their making. Fairness, proper compensation and respect are the least they deserve. Farmers are being short-changed and driven into debt, which is having a detrimental effect on their mental health. It is so important we talk about that issue. That is why I am glad that our amendments will be a part of this motion. They strengthen and improve it and send a clear message that this House is standing up family farmers.

I know my colleague will speak further about the Mercosur deal but just let me say that I feel it is not a good deal for Irish farmers. It would force our farmers to compete on an uneven playing field. Irish farmers must meet the highest standards of animal welfare, traceability and environmental protection while other farmers do not. That is deeply unfair and must be opposed. I welcome the comments from the other Senators that if it were a fair playing field and everyone had to apply the same standards, things may be different for us. We must stand up for the Irish farmers. I appreciate the work done by the Fine Gael Senators who tabled this motion. I welcome the willingness to work together as we continue to support family farmers, demand fairness and ensure that Irish agriculture has the support it needs thrive.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I second the amendment. Like my colleague, there is nothing in this motion I would oppose. I generally support it. I want to concentrate my remarks on the Mercosur deal. Trade deals between the EU and other countries continue to threaten Irish agriculture. That is particularly true of the Mercosur deal, which will see the importation of South American beef into the EU. That will have a negative effect on Irish beef farmers and Irish exports. Irish agricultural produce is recognised as being of the highest quality and produced to the highest standards worldwide. The Mercosur trade deal, unless it excludes the importation of South American beef, would negatively affect the Irish economy and Irish family farms. The Mercosur trade deal is a bad deal for Irish and other EU farmers, and always has been. Sinn Féin has been consistent in its opposition to the deal. We will continue to stand with our beef and poultry farmers in opposing this deal.

Six years ago, I chaired a meeting in Cavan-Monaghan with farmers and farming organisations who at that stage were worried and opposed to this deal. They have not changed their opinion in that time. We all know the issues with the deal in respect of animal welfare standards and traceability, as well as the environmental consequences of deforestation. Some 99,000 tonnes of South American beef and 180,000 tonnes of South American poultry will be imported to the EU as part of this deal. Irish farmers must comply with environmental regulations, traceability, animal welfare and other laws with which their South American competitors will not have to comply. South American beef production is associated with the clearing of the Amazon rainforest, as well as lower and less well-implemented environmental safeguards generally. It is not acceptable that South American beef costing half the price of Irish beef will be on the menu of restaurants throughout Europe.

Ireland exports 90% of its beef around the world. We are the fifth largest exporter of beef. Irish family farms will be impacted if cheap beef and poultry, which will push Irish produce off the shelves, are introduced into the country. Once it starts, what is to stop the volume of South American beef and poultry being imported increasing?

The Irish Government must be clear and stand up to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in opposing the ratification of this deal and defending Irish agriculture. It must align itself with the other member states that are opposed to the deal. I welcome the Minister's statements in that regard. He said that was the position the Government was taking. I wonder if there has been any clarification of the position of the Government's MEPs. There seem to be different opinions, although I am open to clarification on that point. The Fine Gael MEP Nina Carberry is on the record as opposing this deal while Barry Andrews from the Fianna Fáil group is supporting it. What is the position?

The Mercosur trade deal is bad for Irish agriculture and Ireland and should be opposed strenuously.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before I move to the next speaker, I welcome to the Chamber the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish. I call Senator Cosgrove.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Fine Gael Senators for tabling this motion. It is a wide-ranging motion and I do not intend to speak on every aspect of it. I will address the issues around the areas of natural constraint payments, animal welfare and the Mercosur deal.

Last week, I met representatives of the IFA, who stressed the importance to farmers in Sligo-Leitrim that the Government resisted European attempts to cut the CAP and that payments under the ANC increased by €50 million to €300 million. This is a sector where the word "simplification" is bandied about in the context of multiple schemes. I often hear from farmers that there are associated bureaucracies and red tape. The areas of natural constraint scheme, however, seems straightforward and is paid with little bureaucracy in September each year. These payments help farmers with the back-to-school and college costs. We all know that farmers spend their money locally, so it goes back into the local economy. The area I represent includes higher ground and poor ground, as well as island farmers. They all support this scheme. It is important for the farmers in Sligo and Leitrim. Unknown to me until I started looking into it, this scheme pays 75% of farmers. I understand from the farmers I met last week that the ANC was reduced during the austerity years after the crash and this €50 million should be reinstated immediately. We in the Labour Party are calling for that in our alternative budget, which will be published tomorrow. Many of the farmers who are eligible for this ANC payment contain land parcels subject to GAEC 2. I would remind the Minister of the commitment he gave to farmers last year that the implementation of GAEC 2 would not affect their day-to-day activities and would not result in the implementation of fines on farmers who continued to farm those lands.

I am pleased to see concern for poultry and pigs shown in the motion with the call for capital investment to improve animal health and welfare. Not only is improved animal welfare good in its own right, but the health and welfare of animals have a direct impact on human well-being and health and on the environment, including - I do not need to tell the farmers in this room this - water quality, which can be affected by slurry and waste, which in a factory farm setting need to be disposed of in vast quantities. Recently, my office met representatives of Ethical Farming Ireland, who stressed that there was a general conviction in the Government that animal welfare was important. That is fantastic, but nothing concrete has resulted from that conviction. However, I welcome the sentiment and will wait to see what is done to improve the lives of pigs, poultry and cattle that can be sold at marts at just ten days old and exported live outside the EU and beyond EU protections at just 15 days old. We all know that the ill-treatment of livestock is bad for the animals but it is also bad for humans and the environment.

The Mercosur trade has been spoken about. Unfortunately, I missed the opening remarks of the Minister, Deputy Heydon. Mercosur is a disaster for the environment and farmers. I talked to farmers at the ploughing championships. Irish farmers are receiving a decent price for the top-quality beef they produce. They have made strenuous efforts to reduce their carbon footprints in line with Government policy and are doing their very best to help us to meet our legally binding climate targets. After doing this, there is a worry that the rug is going to be pulled out from underneath them by the Mercosur deal of the EPP, which is Fine Gael's grouping in the EU. If we allow the importation of 99,000 tonnes of South American beef into the European market, the negative consequences for Irish farmers will be stark. As was said previously, the beef produced in South America is not subject to the same strict requirements as that produced in Europe in respect of traceability, animal welfare, and health and safety. Beef can be produced cheaper and in greater quantity there than it can be here. It can also be produced without any regard to environmental standards. Beef production in South America is responsible for 65% of tropical deforestation. It would be utter hypocrisy to impose environmental standards and nature restoration requirements on Irish farmers while allowing the importation of beef from South America at the same time.

I would like the Minister of State to confirm whether a carbon leakage assessment has been carried out against the implementation of the Mercosur deal. A carbon leakage assessment is required under the 2021 climate Act before any policy can be implemented. Carbon leakage is defined by the Act as "the transfer, due to climate policies, of production to other countries with less restrictive policies with regard to greenhouse gas emissions". We cannot allow the export of our climate responsibilities to South America to facilitate the importation of cheap beef.

Farmers and the rural communities they sustain are the backbone of our country. I know there are many farmers here and they are the stewards of our environment. They, and not cheap imports of Brazilian beef, are the guarantors of food safety and food security. They will help us to reach our carbon emissions targets.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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I thank my Fine Gael colleagues for bringing forward this motion. I welcome the debate and Fianna Fáil will not oppose the motion.

Our farmers are world-class food producers. They are the social, economic and cultural pillars of our rural communities and Irish society. From 2020 to 2024, with the leadership of the then Minister, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fáil worked hard to deliver investment on farms and in industry and provide financial support for farmers. This work included a new €1.5 billion agri-environmental scheme, ACRES, a new agrifood regulator, supports of €225 per suckler cow and €25 per ewe and a projected geographic indicator, PGI, for grass-fed beef.

When farmers faced difficulties in recent years, the Government ensured direct and timely supports were introduced, such as the €32.3 million in support earlier this year for tillage farmers. Previous supports included fodder transport and schemes to support farmers during adverse weather events. From mid-September to the end of 2025, payments totalling over €1.7 billion will issue to farm families and, by extension, rural communities throughout the country. Moving forward, protecting family incomes will remain an absolute priority for my party, Fianna Fáil. We want Irish agriculture to be a world leader in terms of innovation, sustainability and value and we want Irish farmers and their families to thrive.

On derogation, last week I had a Commencement matter on this on the very day the Minister, Deputy Heydon, went to Brussels to discuss it. I jokingly took credit on the day and said when he heard I was coming in there he ran to Brussels. Whether that is true or not, I am taking the credit. It is important that the rate stays the same. A change would be detrimental to individual farmers and the whole farming sector. It would be very hard to see young talented boys and girls coming home to farm when the first thing they will have to do is reduce the size of their herd or acquire more land. We cannot compare Ireland to other European countries. We have a unique outside system and it is unfair to compare us to any other European country. It is also unfair that farmers are getting the blame for the condition of our waterways when other bodies are doing more harm. They should be asked to get their houses in order before farmers are asked to take huge steps. Our waterways are improving, but this needs time. Denmark is held up as a great example of anything agricultural. Not a week goes by that we do not hear Denmark this and Denmark that with regard to agriculture, but it must be noted that it is now trying to get back to the derogation system.

I want to mention tillage farmers. It is very hard to believe that they are getting the same income they did 40 years ago. It is unbelievable. If the derogation is reduced, it will put more pressure on tillage farmers because they will have to compete with large dairy farmers when acquiring land.

I was little disappointed with the motion in that there is no mention of encouraging women into farming. Perhaps in future if a similar motion is tabled we could include something to encourage women to go into farming. Thank God the day when a farmer would only pass on his farm to a son is well and truly gone, but an extra incentive might bring some fine women back to farming.

Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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Hear, hear,

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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Duly noted.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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The Minister is most welcome to the Chamber. I would like to speak on the upcoming budget in the context of the importance of keeping some of the agricultural tax reliefs currently in place and what they mean for rural Ireland. I want to speak in particular in the context of the fact that one in three farmers is now aged over 65 and, of the 50,000 farmers across the country, only one in 20 is aged under 35.

I am sharing time with Senator Eileen Lynch, with the agreement of the Cathaoirleach.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I refer to agricultural reliefs, in particular to the exemptions that exist for young trained farmers. They allow for the transfer from one generation to a farmer aged under 35 years who can claim a full exemption from stamp duty. At a time when the stamp duty rate is 7.5% on all non-residential land, it would be quite a significant burden were that tax exemption to expire. It is important that the tax relief is retained in next week's budget.

I refer to consanguinity relief, which is the reduction of the 7.5% rate of stamp duty to 1% for transfers from one generation to the next where they are related. That is an important tax relief because if it is not possible for somebody aged under 35 to transfer and inherit land, they will still benefit, albeit at the 1% rate, and save 6.5% on the standard non-residential rate of stamp duty. As we encourage the next generation to take up farming in Ireland, it is important that we protect these reliefs.

Many farmers across the country farm from a tax perspective as a sole trader rather than being incorporated into a company. One important relief is conditional gift relief. A farmer who has successfully farmed over a number of years may have saved a pot of money to purchase land, which, as everybody knows is scarce because nobody is making any new land. If a farm comes up for sale next door, that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the farmer may want to purchase or bid on that land, having saved for 20 to 30 years to be able to do so. Some farmers are never in a position to be able to bid on an adjoining piece of land.

The current tax regime, under the conditional gift relief, allows a farmer to use savings and transfer the land purchased using a pot of saved money to the next generation provided that they then use it for the purchase of an agricultural asset or land. If that relief was to disappear, hard-earned money saved to buy a piece of land when an opportunity presents itself would be subject to the maximum rate of 33% inheritance tax. That is wrong. It would not apply to farming in a commercial company structure. As so many farmers are sole traders, it is important that we protect the conditional gift relief that currently exists in the budget next week. I implore the Minister of State to take my comments back to the Department and work with the Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, on them.

Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for being with us. I am delighted to support the motion. It is incredibly important. Now, more than ever, we need to realise the importance of agriculture and farming to our economy. Last week, I attended a meeting of delegates from across Europe on the vision for food strategy. While we all came from different countries and farming backgrounds, the common theme seemed to be that of food security and the future of our food security. We need to bear in mind that one of the founding aims of the European Union was food security. It is vital we prioritise that.

Another main challenge that seems to be faced by every European country is generational renewal. I welcome the publication the week before last of the generational renewal report and the recommendations therein and the commitment of the Minister to them, but it is vital that we put this into action as soon as possible. Across Europe, the average age of a farmer is 57 and in Ireland it is 59. Across Europe, the average number of farmers under 40 is 12% and in Ireland it is 8.5%. This is something we have to get a hold on. I come from a beef and dairy farming background. In order to become a farmer and work in farming, in particular for those with dairy and working full-time, one has to have a love of the land. It is not like a normal job where people can take time off. People who are milking cows for nine months a year have to be on the farm in the morning and evening.

Some of the biggest barriers I see facing young farmers are access to finance, access to land for those who do not come from a farming background, and security in terms of what they are meant to do.It is not too long ago that we were telling farmers to expand. Now we are telling them the opposite and are seeing a reduction in our herd numbers. Coming from Cork, it would be remiss of me not to mention the nitrates derogation and how important it is that it is retained at the current rate of 220 kg per hectare. We are the only European country that still has a derogation but there is a good reason for that. Our animals are also fed on grass. Our product is different from that of many other European countries. It is interesting to note that our colleagues in the Netherlands are now looking at restoring their derogation. We cannot lose this or see a reduction in it. Earlier, a meeting of the Oireachtas agriculture committee heard about the pressure on the tillage sector. Reducing our derogation would put even more pressure on land and on farmers.

I particularly commend the work being done by the agricultural catchment group in Timoleague. It has been carrying out water testing since 2010. This year has seen the lowest rate of nitrates in the water so far. Farmers in the area still enjoy the 250 kg rate of derogation. On 1 December, the derogation for the majority of that area will decrease to 220 kg. We cannot do that when the area is performing so well. If the derogation is reduced and nitrates stay at that level, the argument will be made that the reduction was the cause but that is not the case. Farmers have a role to play in water quality. They want to play that role but it is really important that we hold local authorities, Uisce Éireann and other contributors to account for problems with our water quality. It is not just the fault of farmers. Farmers have a responsibility, but we cannot put all the blame for water quality on them.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming in to discuss this important motion. I thank the Fine Gael Group for putting it forward. The motion reads lovely and sounds nice. It notes the importance of agriculture to the Irish economy while totally ignoring the fact that this Government and those that preceded it have put Irish farmers to the pin of their collars through over-regulation and policy demands.

I am a member of the fisheries committee. Every week I listen to the stories of heartbroken fishermen who have a real love of their industry, which is now in total breakdown as the result of over-regulation. It is widely believed, including by some Members on the Fine Gael side of the House, that the fishermen were betrayed. They were let down at every turn by the Irish Administration, by weak politicians and by quiet voices in Europe. Sadly, I can see the same thing happening again. It is happening in slow motion in front of our eyes, but this time it is happening to our farmers.

The motion is correct in stating that there are thousands of jobs in farming, agriculture and food production but these jobs are not being protected by the current Government. The proposal by Ursula von der Leyen to remove the ring-fenced nature of the CAP is a direct threat to farmers' livelihoods. What is the Government going to do about that? Fine Gael says it is on the side of farmers and, in fact, many Fine Gael Senators and TDs are farmers and genuinely care. I hope they are not naive enough to believe that the system which obtains here and in Europe can be easily changed. If they believe that, they are in the wrong party. The Minister is not here, but I have a question for him. Does he support the rearmament of military forces within the EU, because that money has to come from somewhere? Farmers are not stupid. They know that, once money is not safeguarded, the agriculture budget can and will be reduced to make way for new priorities.

It is the same with the Mercosur agreement. This deal does not benefit the Irish agriculture industry at all. The Minister estimated that it will only cost the Irish beef industry €50 million but Meat Industry Ireland has estimated that it will cost €100 million to €130 million. I remind the Minister of State on the record that fishermen and Government officials were assured by Europe that Brexit would not affect Irish fishermen. That was a lie. I ask that the Minister of State to take note and take heed of what is being said. Brazilians are protesting this deal because they know it will lead to further deforestation. Irish farmers have jumped through hoops when it comes to sustainable farming and now the EU wants to import Brazilian beef when we have the best quality produce right here. You could not make it up. If the Minister of State believes that Europe cares about Irish agriculture, he is a fool.

I highlight the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Government's TB eradication programme. The total spend on the programme is 76% more than the original estimate and yet, in 2024, we had the highest incidence rate in over 20 years. Since 2018, we have seen the incidence rate gradually getting higher and higher. Farmers have been vocal in saying that the programme is not working and yet, only last year, the then Minister, Deputy McConalogue, rejected very valid criticisms of the TB programme. The programme was failing for a long time. Instead of putting its hand up and admitting it was not working, the Government continued to pour millions into it. That is shocking. We now have another launch, that of the shiny new TB action plan. To be honest, however, this action plan is weak at best and watery at worst. We have to ask what is going to be the difference with this action plan. The IFA, the Irish Rural Association and the ICMSA have said there is no agreement with farmers on this plan. Under Australia's model of TB eradication, farmers and that country's department of agriculture work together and launch the plan. Are we going to pour more money into an action plan that sounds good but gets us nowhere closer to the eradication of TB? I have yet to be convinced.

There is genuine will here to champion Irish agriculture and I welcome the Private Members' motion but, like many across the farming sector, I do not believe this Government is putting the interests of farmers first in Europe.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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I will try not to go over the many points that have already been made but it would be remiss of me not to address some of the issues in relation to the Mercosur deal. The Opposition seems to take the position that the Mercosur deal is bad but the Opposition has never had to negotiate a trade deal. The success of Irish agriculture is based on trade deals made through the EU. We have a team that will negotiate a Mercosur deal, and it will be a good deal for Irish agriculture. Nobody sets out to get a bad trade deal. It will be a very solid trade deal for Irish farmers. We are confident of that. I am quite satisfied that it will be a good deal for farmers.

Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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That is not what the IFA is saying.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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It is a starting point. With all due respect, the Senators will not decide the Mercosur deal here. It will be negotiated at a higher level. These things need to be looked at in the round. It was the Senator's party that said we should not go into the EU. If we had not gone into the EU, where would Irish farmers be now?

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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They would probably be in a better place.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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Sinn Féin did an about-face and accepted the EU after a while.

The nitrates derogation is a big issue looming for farmers. In the agriculture committee of the previous Dáil, I said that there was an onus on us to engage proactively with the EPA. The biggest threat to our holding onto our nitrates derogation is the EPA not giving us timely information. Most of the water quality reports it was giving us were 18 months if not two years out of date. Significant progress has been made on water quality across the country. It is important that issue is raised.

There were a couple of points that were not mentioned in the motion. I will speak about peat producers. We need to address that issue again. They have made significant progress in that area. It is very much an industry that is in its twilight years. The EPA has its foot on the industry's throat and is using local authorities to berate many of the operators involved. The industry has changed. The big multiples in the UK are insisting on horticultural peat that is not entirely 100% peat based. They are looking for sphagnum and other alternatives. I visited a peat producer during the summer, a young producer who has the first sphagnum crop in Ireland. It is similar to a peat product. It is very innovative and has great advantages in relation to carbon. We did not address forestry. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, is involved in dealing with that at the moment. There were great expectations for what he was going to do. It was very much a case of poacher turned gamekeeper. We need to see him being proactive on that matter. The Government has been almost a year in office, and the Minister of State has been in post for a number of months. However, I do not think the forestry sector has felt the love to date.

I am sure it was an oversight by Senator Brady, but he left the horse sector out of his motion. That sector is a very important part of Irish agriculture in terms of horse racing and horse sport. Will the Department ensure that the horse and greyhound fund is protected at all costs? We have thriving industries in the sport horse sector, in racing and in greyhound racing that depend on this fund. I would like to hope that this Government and those that succeed it will be absolutely steadfast in their support for that sector and in their defence of funding of horse racing and greyhound racing. In the previous Dáil, issues relating to the sector were debated at length. Those issues have not gone away. I ask Senator Daly, who is on the agriculture committee, to raise those issues at the agriculture committee.

The sector has never been as successful as it is now. At one stage during the summer, we were able to put out five Nations Cup teams on three different continents. That was unprecedented. No other country anywhere in the world was able to do that. If there is a concern about the sector, it has to do with the position regarding traditional Irish-bred horses for showjumping, eventing, etc. The traditional draft-thoroughbred cross has been overtaken by a more continental European-bred horse. The Department needs to engage with the Irish Horse Board and provide more money and more schemes, particularly in the context of environmental schemes, to encourage farmers, especially those who are working, to return to horse breeding. There is a great opportunity there for the Department and for rural communities to support that.

We saw the huge success of and the many visitors who came here from the US for the American football game. I did not understand what was happening at the game, but it was a great boost to Dublin. The last time we suggested we would host the World Equestrian Games in Ireland was 1998. Dublin was put forward as a likely location. For some reason, the organisers pulled out at the last minute. There is an opportunity for the Government to look at hosting the World Equestrian Games in Dublin. We have Leopardstown Racecourse, we have the RDS and we have plenty of other facilities. We can bring several hundred thousand people to the city. This would be a major sporting event and would provide an opportunity to showcase the success of the Irish horse. I ask that the Minister of State engage with Horse Sport Ireland specifically on that matter.

I commend the Fagan family in Mullingar, particularly as Mullingar has been proposed as the Irish venue to bid for a leg of the 2026 Longines series, which is a major showcase event. The Fagans are one of the many families across the country who have invested in the horse sector and who are making huge strides. I hope that this Government and future Governments will always remember that sector.

Noel O'Donovan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State. I broadly welcome the cross-party support for the motion. The essence of it is to highlight the positive impact that agriculture has within our communities but also the issues the sector is facing.

Agriculture is the lifeblood of many rural communities across the country, including those in west Cork. It is not only the foundation of our local economy; it is also the thread that holds our culture, environment and way of life together. For generations, farming has provided livelihoods, supported local businesses, sustained schools and kept our villages vibrant. Without a strong agriculture sector, the very fabric of rural life begins to fray. As has been stated, this debate is not just about the negatives, although there are challenges facing the industry, including rising input costs, market uncertainty and an increasing number of environmental obligations. West Cork is home to some of the best grassland in Europe. This has enabled family farms, particularly does specialising in dairying and livestock, to thrive. However, that productivity depends on a balance between producing food sustainably while protecting our water, soil and biodiversity.

As has been mentioned by a number of my colleagues, including Senator Margaret Murphy O'Mahony, derogation is really important to Cork. Permission from Europe for it to continue is vital. Derogation is important because it allows farmers, operating under strict environmental controls, to make the best use of our grass-based system. Without it, many family farms would be forced to cut stock numbers drastically. This would threaten farm viability and jobs in local co-ops, transport and agri-services, and weaken the very backbone of the rural economy. Losing it would not just hurt farmers; it would ripple out to every shop, school and community hall in west Cork. I thank the Minister for visiting west Cork, particularly Timoleague, in recent months. I take this opportunity to note the presence of Councillor John Michael Foley in the Chamber.

The Government sees the importance of derogation and is listening. It is important that we retain our derogation, but it will not be easy. Europe must listen. As has been mentioned, our grass-based system is unique. I am delighted to hear that the Commissioner has been invited to visit Ireland. I hope she visits west Cork to see the operation of the farms there.

Retaining the derogation is not about ignoring the environment; it is about working with it. Farmers here are already investing in low-emission slurry spreading, better soil management and protecting watercourses. With continued support, innovation and partnership, we can ensure that west Cork remains both a world-class food producer and a region of natural beauty. A point that is not often made in the debate on derogation is that derogation farmers are actually improving their environment. Through the methods, practices and policies they are implementing, they are improving the environment in terms of reducing emissions and improving water quality. That point needs to be made. We, as public representatives, have a job to do in this regard. At times there is a divide between the rural and the urban in terms of the blame attached to the agricultural community. We need to rule that out, speak against it and explain where our food comes from. We must also explain the importance, as has been mentioned, of generational renewal. We need to attract young people to this sector. It is our job, as public representatives, to explain the facts and why retaining derogation is supporting our farm businesses but is also improving efficiencies.

Agriculture is not just another sector for west Cork, it is part of our identity, our future, and our community. Retaining the nitrates derogation is essential if we are to keep family farms viable, protect jobs and sustain the rural way of life that makes this part of Ireland so unique.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State and acknowledge the presence earlier of the Minister, Deputy Heydon. I wish the Minister well in his involvement in the deliberations relating to the budget. The budget is going to be hugely important for the Irish farming sector and rural Ireland.

The first point I want to make relates to Mercosur and free trade deals. Free trade deals are important; they are the essence of the world economy. We have seen the ructions caused across the world over the past number of months as a result of the tariffs imposed by President Trump and the reciprocal tariffs that have been implemented. This shows the importance of free trade and trade deals to the world economy. Mercosur could be a positive trade deal, but we need to ensure that standards are protected. The standards of Irish farming have to be upheld and the standard of any imports coming from Mercosur countries have to be upheld in compliance with European standards. That is the same for trade with the United States in the context of agricultural products. That is important.

The Minister of States role in developing new markets is extremely important. We do not know what the future holds. We need to ensure that all our eggs are not in the one basket and that all our trade is not with a small number of markets. Continuing to expand those markets is hugely important as well.

The MFF is hugely important in the context of CAP and LEADER. Senator Murphy mentioned LEADER. There are concerns within LEADER companies about the future, about whether the guarantees they had in the past will survive into the future and about whether the programme is going to be removed from CAP. Those are proposals coming from the Commission. I do not know what the end result will be, but ensuring that the CAP budget is at least protected if not enhanced is important. As part of the discussions on the MFF, it is important that the governments of member states, as well as MEPs, ensure there is certainty on the LEADER budget.

Tillage is not a particularly major issue in terms of growers in my county, but it is obviously important in the context of the grain and straw produced in parts of it.Tillage farming is the sector in which farmers have expressed the greatest concern in recent months about its future viability and it is important that measures be put in place. This motion contains a request for additional measures for tillage. I know the Minister, Deputy Heydon, will be fighting that fight with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and within the Government in the coming hours and days until the budget is finalised.

I commend all those in this House who have raised and continue to raise the importance of nitrates, including Senators O'Donovan, Lynch, Cathal Byrne, Brady and P. J. Murphy on this side of the House. They expressed the importance of nitrates. In the previous Seanad, former Senator, Tim Lombard, championed the issue of the importance of nitrates to farmers. It is a hugely important issue for a relatively small but important number of farmers who farm intensively and are productive and who, because of their role, engage with environmentally sensitive recommendations on farming. That is a requirement when using nitrates. The Cabinet sub-committee is in place and it must achieve results. It is up and running and it is part of the programme for Government. It has important work to do.

The areas of natural constraints scheme, formerly the disadvantaged areas scheme, is hugely important to my area of Connemara and Galway west and many parts of the country. The cheque that comes at the time of the National Ploughing Championships is the backbone of farming. It is a needed and welcome injection for, in many cases, small farmers or less intensive farmers who have lands on which people cannot grow grain or raise dairy cows, but where the farming is of hill sheep, sucklers or dry stock and it is important that be maintained and protected as part of the multi-annual framework.

TB is always a concern for farmers. As Senator McCormack said, farmers have an attachment to cattle and their bloodlines and it is a huge emotional trauma when farmers have to see one or ten cows head off to a factory when it was not planned. Senator P.J. Murphy's point about valuations is also hugely important. There must be proper valuations because beef prices have increased considerably in the past year. Weanling prices have almost doubled. They are certainly heading towards double last year's price. It is important the maximum cap on the valuation prices be raised.

On generational renewal, it is hugely important there is succession and that there are measures in place, whether they be financial tax packages on such matters as the thresholds for inheritance tax or the consanguinity relief Senator Cathal Byrne mentioned. There must be the maximum supports possible. We must look at possible schemes. There was a retirement scheme in the past. There were limitations on it. It was onerous and had certain conditions that were harsh on retiring farmers, which certainly should not be part of a new scheme. Generational renewal is hugely important for young men and women to ensure the lifeblood continues in the farming sector.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I will give a quick summary and wrap up. I thank the Minister of State for being in the House today and the Minister, Deputy Heydon, for taking the time out. I wish him well in the negotiations. Everyone knows there will be give and take on both sides of the House to get the budget across the line.

TB has been mentioned. I will clarify something in the new TB programme which people might not be aware of. We asked the Minister, Deputy Heydon, about it in the past. When a badger was tested under the old programme, it was caught, vaccinated and let out. Under the new programme, it is caught and tested to see whether it is a carrier of TB. If so, it is slaughtered at that point. If not, it is vaccinated and then let out. That is important. We will see a huge change in the number of badgers that are reactors when they are caught under the TB programme. That is a big change. In the past we did not test them for TB but were vaccinating them. That was a mistake made by the Department, but it has been rectified and we need to move on from it.

Everyone discussed the concerns regarding Mercosur and where we stand on it.

It was remiss of me - I put my hand up - not to mention women in farming. I have a daughter who comes farming with me every evening and who will more than likely be the successor on the farm. It is important we acknowledge the role women play on the farm and that there is a support package in place for them going forward. We must encourage not only young farmers, but young women farmers to take up some of the activities in farming practice. I welcome that.

Senator Paul Daly mentioned the tillage sector. We have not really seen a cut in any other sector. We need new money in the tillage sector to make up for that. An aspect of the tillage sector we discussed earlier is that we import a lot of soya. Do we need to support the tillage sector to grow peas as a crop and then encourage the beef sector to use peas rather than soya beans in the grain for fattening? It is an area we need to look at because we import a lot of soya.

On water quality and the nitrates derogation, it is important that everyone understands we are the only country in Europe that has held on to its nitrates derogation. No one knows how long that will continue, but at the moment we are the envy of Europe for holding on to it. I hope we will hold on to it going forward and that it will retain its current status.

The TAMS grants are important for young farmers. I hope they will not be interfered with in the new budget. We have seen the buy-in of farmers into TAMS with respect to low-emission spreading and other aspects. Let us be honest about this. In Cork farming is different than it is in Mayo, Longford or Leitrim. There are parts of Leitrim, Mayo, Longford, Cavan, Sligo and Donegal where cows cannot be milked and beef cannot be reared. There might be sheep on certain areas, but there are schemes with which we can encourage farmers and which will meet our European environmental targets. Those schemes need to be funded to give rural people the living they could otherwise get off the land, which is the same as for the man who milks cows or raises beef. If we do that, farmers will buy into schemes that can support them. That is where we need to go. We need to bring in a long-term scheme from now to 2030 or 2035 with real money behind it to protect the environment.

I do not know who raised exporters today. I think it was Senator Paul Daly. It is frightening that our exporters are saying they do not intend to go to the marts to buy cattle that are for export. I encourage them to engage with all Members on all sides of the Houses, Senators and TDs, because this is the lifeblood of our community. For them to say they will not go to the mart is sticking two fingers up at farmers who have reared calves to the specification these people want for export. They have used the Belgian Blue breed and double muscling and got up at night to calve cows. It is hurtful now to hear some of them say they will not go to the mart. It is themselves they will mess up in this. Someone else mentioned that we must deal with MII.It is unfortunate that MII pulled the price of beef last week by 20 cent. What kind of practice has it shown to the agricultural sector? It realised 30-month cattle were coming on board, yet it did not show faith in the sector. It is a sector where we know beef is highly sought after and there is a shortage of beef on shelves in England and parts of Europe, yet MII pulled the price of beef. It has now realised that the 30-month cattle might not be out there and it might have to put the price back up. There has to be joined-up thinking. If we want to show faith in the farming community, we have to respect the farming community.

As Senator Flaherty mentioned, it was remiss of me not to mention the horse sector in the motion. We export a lot of horses to many European countries. I have sold horses that have gone abroad to be used for leisure horse riding, showjumping and hunting. There is a sector in this area that has to do with Irish draught horses and Connemara ponies. We have supported them with some of the agricultural schemes. This is a sector we can support even further. Horses that have the quality and trait of being quiet and the ability to be showjumpers are very special. It is an area we must support.

I will not hold up the Minister of State any longer. I thank him for taking the time to come in and listen to us and our concerns. I also thank the other side of the House for supporting this motion.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister and Minister of State for being here. I also thank all the Members for their contributions.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 2:

After the words “calls on the Government to:” to insert the following paragraph: “- implement the Bovine TB Action Plan while taking into consideration the concerns of farmers in relation to the Plan;

- provide funding to increase the maximum valuation for TB reactor cattle to provide adequate compensation to farmers;

- oppose the Mercosur trade deal and defend the interests of Irish family farms;”.

Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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I second it.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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When is it proposed to sit again?

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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Tomorrow morning at 9.30.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.