Paraic Brady
Agricultural Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I wish to discuss a case that is ongoing all over social media where animals were euthanised on a farm in Roscommon and in County Clare last week. Forget about the rights and wrongs or who is right and who is wrong. The manner in which the animals were euthanised is where I see a problem.”
“It is probably the first time I can say all the work is done before we actually go home. With the weather, the turf is home, the hay is done the silage is made and the feet are up. We are surely going to enjoy the summer. I wish all the teams in the hurling and football the very best.”
“I welcome the Minister. I, too, support the countermotion. My colleagues have raised a number of issues but I would like to touch on the GAA's demographics report. It is about how we support those clubs in the countryside that are finding it hard to get players and the population to stay in that area.”
“He is working the land, but he also maybe has another job block-laying or whatever he is at locally. However, his family is reared there. He is buying his groceries in the local shop. He is spending all the money locally. He is probably doing a small bit of farming, drainage and whatever else. Everything is local.”
“I rise to address a concern that Councillor Michael Boyle raised yesterday in respect of Donegal. I compliment him on raising what will be a huge concern all over Ireland. It is that Irish Water has sent out notification that it intends to switch off water.”
“They can live without grass for a certain amount of time but we cannot switch water off for animals in this sort of weather. In this day and age, I cannot understand how Irish Water cannot provide a service. There are water-harvesting systems all over the world.”
The complete record
Every one of 212 lines we hold for Paraic Brady, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 5.
“I urge that we at least look at making that train high speed and put some investment into it. A small issue has cropped up a number of times, which is that some of the machines on the platforms regularly are not working. When a person gets on the train, they cannot purchase a ticket on the train without paying a fine. That is something we need to address. Further, I know it is not the Minister of State’s remit, that it is private, but I hope the coffee cart on the Sligo train will be reinstalled sooner rather than later.”
“Everyone knows the train itself is safe and there is no fuel burden. A person can get on and relax and do a day’s work on the train. They can sleep or do whatever they want to do. They can talk to somebody. It is a great spot to meet new people, even students. What it provides is a link for older people who do not like driving. As the Minister of State knows, when one leaves Longford, we have a single carriageway the whole way from Longford to Mullingar that then comes on to a dual carriageway. As a county in the centre of Ireland, on both sides of Longford there is a motorway and dual carriageway, even down into the west. We feel we have been left behind, certainly when the road infrastructure has come in, so we certainly do not want to be left behind if a high-speed train comes in.”
“I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to be here today. I, too, would like to address some of the issues regarding the Sligo to Dublin rail line. As the Minister of State knows, we have two train stops in the county of Longford, one in Longford town and one in Edgeworthstown. The one in Edgeworthstown catered for the whole of the Cavan-north Longford region where we have seen a huge influx of people. Where this can have a huge effect is that house prices in Longford are approximately €320,000-odd. We have students renting accommodation in Dublin for extraordinary rents. It took roughly two hours and 15 minutes the last time I travelled from Longford to Dublin. I am asking that we would have, not a high-speed rail - I am not asking for the bullet train they have in China - but at least a train that travels at normal speed.”
“Then they would realise the people and the farmers have a voice and that we support the farmers in this country. I urge the four retailers, and everybody knows who they are, to stand down their price war. This is having a major effect on fresh milk produce. Co-ops have been reducing the prices for September and October. I urge the supermarkets to move the war somewhere else before the war is moved to their door.”
“Today I raise an issue once again that, unfortunately, affects the farming community. This week, four of our major supermarkets have decided to have a price war regarding the price of milk. This sector, where farmers produce liquid milk, has seen 43% of liquid milk producers leaving in the last ten years, which is highly worrying. We have seen costs increase. We have seen outputs decrease. I urge these four retailers to move away from the Irish farming sector. If they want a price war, move it into the coffee industry or somewhere it does not affect homegrown produce or the farmers of this country. The housewives of all these farmers shop in these supermarkets. I urge that, if the price war is not stood down in the next ten days, the people of rural Ireland boycott these supermarkets and not do the shopping there.”
“If it is only one animal you are losing, you are losing €300. I caution the farming community that certainly they need to look at that in the context of an investment of €7,000 or more. They need to sit down and look at the books to assess what return will be made on such an investment. There is a fear right now that farmers have lost control of spending when prices are good. I urge caution on that.”
“I wish to raise an issue of caution for our farming community. We have seen record prices being paid for cattle over recent months. Last week, we saw a springer heifer in my local area making €15,500 at Carrigallen mart. I caution the farming community that everything has a ceiling, and everything has a price and a fail value. There are a number of sales coming up, and there seems to be panic among farmers that they must meet targets to match up with the ICBF star rating. However, and this is where I have a concern, somewhere along the line you have to look at the cost of your produce, what you are buying in and the cost of what you are losing in your scheme. It might be advisable to take the penalty from the Department rather than investing in high-cost stock. We see heifers now being sold for €7,000, and upwards, on average.”
“It was oversubscribed last year, and I welcome that the Minister has allocated more money to the scheme this year, where we need to meet our targets. The challenging sector for the Minister this year was, of course, tillage. He has secured at least €50 million for the tillage sector in 2026. He will consult the stakeholders in the programme and design a strategy for this operation. Importantly, the Minister has secured the same allocation as last year for the livestock scheme, to the sum of €131 million. I welcome that we will not touch the livestock or sheep sectors going forward. I thank the Minister of State for his time.”
“That is a sizeable increase in the budget and it shows that the Minister and his Department officials have listened to the people on the ground. This is a sector we have to address and it will be addressed with that allocation. On improving water quality, the Minister has secured an extension to the acceleration capital allowance programme for the next four years, which is hugely welcome. He is also allocating €88 million to the TAMS capital investment scheme for 2026. I welcome that. He has secured €280 million for ACRES for 2026, an increase of €20 million on 2025. We have asked the farming community to buy into ACRES and environmental schemes. We have seen the havoc the scheme caused last year and I would welcome an increase in that this year.”
“The Minister of State is very welcome. I welcome the capital budget for agriculture. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, has secured an additional €170 million in budget 2026. That is a 9% increase, from €158 million last year to €170 million this year, bringing the Department's budget to over €2.3 billion. This includes a capital programme of €335 million. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, got what he has worked for after listening to local representatives and people from the farming sector. This is one budget of five in which he intends to deliver support to key areas. The greatest priority, of course, had to be TB. We have seen how this has risen in the sector over the past number of years and affected the livestock industry. I am glad to see that the TB programme has gone from €85 million last year to €157 million in this year's budget.”
“I hope the matter is discussed by the relevant authorities. This happened in America - in their house. If it happened in Ireland or any other European state, it would be discussed in their house. It is appropriate we discuss in this House the conduct of people towards our sporting heroes. I hope the fans who showed this disrespect will be dealt with in a timely manner. Ireland will host the Ryder Cup in two years' time. I hope those people will be named and shamed and will not enter this country for the spectacle. We will show people how we run an occasion. I look forward to that.”
“I would like to be associated with all of the comments about Senator Andrews. I would also like to discuss the Ryder Cup and what Europe achieved in the past week. We are proud of one of our own who made the final putt to secure the Ryder Cup for the European team. It is very special and will live not only in the minds of every golfer in Ireland but in the European team to have had such a comeback. In fairness, the Americans have to be commended on their comeback. However, that is not why I rise today. I want to speak about how the American fans conducted themselves during what was a sporting occasion. We saw the abuse Rory McIlroy endured along with Shane Lowry and other competitors. It is utterly disgusting that on such an occasion, professionals players received such abuse from fans.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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 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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“They gathered in our local hall last Saturday to watch Cian run. It was great to see all the young kids there who idolise this 23-year-old and what he has done. Let us hope that the future is very bright and that some college in America or somewhere else picks him up. He is a special talent.”
“I congratulate all our sporting icons who took part in the World Athletics Championships. As we saw on our televisions in recent days, we have some array of talent coming on in the future. It would be remiss of me not to mention our Longford man, Cian McPhillips, who was very unlucky not to win a medal on Saturday. He is only 23 years old. He was 0.2 seconds off the bronze medal place and set another personal best and an Irish record. The future of sport and the 800 m is very bright. I wish Cian and all the athletes, those who won medals and those who were disappointed not to do so, the very best of luck. We have all spoken about the Irish flag and how it is betrayed but when we see people wearing the Irish jersey abroad, it certainly gives us great pride, especially the people of Longford.”
“I ask MII to issue a statement regarding why the processing sector is in freefall. Why has it done this repeatedly? This has to be dealt with. Farmers are being asked to produce a quality food in this country under regulations, yet we have MII, representing the processors, hammering the farmers again. This is robbery of the highest order. This cannot and should not be allowed to continue in this country. If we intend to protect our food, and everybody wants to protect the food source, we must protect the people who produce it.”
“I raise an issue of daylight robbery, simply, and I will use that phrase. We have seen the meat processors again this week reducing the price of lamb by another 20 cent per kilogramme. Everybody knows what happened in the beef sector over the past number of years, where the same processors have brought the decline of cattle into a state where now we see almost 3,700 fewer cattle killed this week than during the same period last year. Cattle numbers have declined. Sheep farmers all over Ireland are now getting hammered to a stage where they have produced a product, and now we see a product that is only paid to 21 kg. It is after getting hammered two weeks on the trot, yet we see supply and demand is there for the product. However, the factories and Meat Industry Ireland, MII, have continued to rob a sector that is in decline.”
“I hope the powers that be and the sporting bodies in this country might look at this and recognise chess as a sport. During the Ukrainian war, people from Ukraine have come to this country and they have improved the game of chess significantly. Some 150,000 children are taught it annually in our schools. Only soccer is ahead of it with regard to participation worldwide. I believe it needs to be recognised as a sport, not a game.”
“I hope that chess will be recognised as a sport rather than a game. Chess is a competitive sport where two players are deeply enthralled in a mind game that takes a serious amount of concentration for a number of hours. It is a global game. It has Olympic recognition and chess has been recognised as a sport by the International Olympic Committee since 2002. It was an event at the Asian Games and before the Pan American Games, Russia has been trying to bring it in as an Olympic sport. It has European recognition. Only three countries in Europe do not recognise it: Ireland, Belgium and Sweden. I find that bizarre, to say the least. It is not only a mental sport but also a sport that blind people and those with partial sight can play if they can see the board. It is a very inclusive sport.”
“There are many more examples of such homegrown talent. I felt immensely proud that these were our own. I wish them luck and I hope that our diaspora across the world will go to see them when they visit.”
“In seeing Kingfishr play at the weekend - I had not heard of them; my daughters persuaded me to come to Dublin to see them - I was truly amazed, not only by the respect the band had for the people who were listening to them, but by the lead singer going into the middle of the audience, being lifted by the crowd while playing the mouth organ and the crowd singing back to him. I found the whole experience truly amazing. This is what makes us Irish and proud. Certain other local authorities throughout Ireland might need to take a leaf out of Dublin's book and promote the homegrown talent that is out there. It is really unique to see. This is a group of engineers who gave up engineering. They are now in the music industry and a known household name throughout Ireland. It is truly amazing to see we have such raw talent in our Irish musicians.”
“I address the House about something that happened at the weekend. I visited Dublin last weekend to see a band called Kingfishr in Fairview Park. I compliment the Dublin councils for putting on the events they run. It makes us Irish and unique that we have such talent, including bands like Kingfishr, Amble - one of its members is from my area - The Tumbling Paddies and The Whistlin' Donkeys. These are all groups that are homegrown, like Aslan, U2 and Riverdance. They are the people who sell Ireland for what it really is.”
“I wish to raise an issue regarding St. Joseph's Care Centre in Longford, where the HSE is providing a new building. It has come to light that the physiotherapy unit will be moved out of that area. This unit provides a huge service in Longford and simply cannot be moved from the site it is on. We were given assurances from the previous Minister, Stephen Donnelly, it would not be moved and I hope his successor will assure the people of Longford that this service will remain on the campus, where it has always been.”
“I hope this sector steadies itself and gives security to farmers to stay doing what we do best in this country, namely, produce food of high quality.”
“We still have India, a huge market we need to look at. Organic food is heavily sought after but I do not think anybody has mentioned it. We support the organic food sector in this country. Our organic food is sought all over the world. I will finish on this. The agrifood sector is the backbone of this country. I am very passionate about it. It is something we need to support if we intend for rural communities to survive. It is a good news story that the beef sector, the lamb sector and other sectors have done a lot better this year than in other years. However, in saying that, we have seen in recent weeks that the price of beef has fallen, and some farmers have bought beef at a high cost. We have seen the price of lamb products fall even though these products are sought globally.”
“As everybody said, €7.2 billion worth of products is exported to the UK, €2 billion worth to the USA, €1.6 billion to the Netherlands, €1.2 billion to France and €1 billion to Germany. A total of €174 million worth of products is exported to Japan and €39 million to Korea. To support our farmers and the country in general, we must now, with all the upheaval and wars that are taking place, look at Japan, Korea and Australia to see if we can improve, especially on our drinks sector, as some of our colleagues alluded to. We all have drinks companies around us, such as Lough Ree Distillery in Longford and Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, which is a good news story down the road in County Leitrim. These businesses support local communities and have done over recent years. It is vital we support them in this time as we are coming through.”
“Korea is seeking to add poultry. Irish beef tongue, as my colleague alluded to, is very big in Japan. Donegal oysters and Flahavans oatmeal are highly sought after commodities in Japan. Our farmers in this country, as my colleague has alluded to, do not get paid for the fifth quarter, even though we export their products and see companies in this country gain a huge amount of money for the offal that is exported. Farmers in this country do not get paid for it, however. It is something we need to look at. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission needs to step in and see what is happening. The Irish agrifood sector exports 34% dairy to Japan, along with 28% pig meat, 10% fish, 12% beverages, which again is low, and 6% animal feed.”
“There are 52 million people in Korea and it needs security of supply of food, which includes new meats and deals. The existing market could provide many opportunities. We gained beef access last year and they are looking to import our poultry. They ordered with us in the past year, which means it looks good for the year ahead. The Irish agrifood sector in 2024 exported €39 million worth of products to Korea. However, Korea is the 41st largest destination by value of agrifood export in the scope. It is a huge place with a huge population that we need to grow and expand on in the future. They are taking in 39% dairy products, 19% pig meat, just 19% fish, 12% beverages, which is very low, and just 5% animal feed. If we look at Japan, which has a population of 123 million people, we gained beef access in 2013 and sheep meat access in 2019.”
“There is one thing we can do, which is to produce a high-quality food that not many countries in Europe cannot produce: a grass-fed based food. That is very important when we go to sell our product throughout the world. Our farmers have been asked to do what they have been asked to do in this and sign up to these schemes. They have done it. Let us treat these farmers with the respect they deserve. They produce high-quality food. I am wary of the EU-Mercosur trade deal, as my colleagues have said, where we allow a beef to come in from other countries that do not have the traceability and are allowed to use hormones. If people knew what is allowed in the beef in these other countries, they would not eat it. Our product would be even more sought after in these other countries. I welcome the trade missions to Korea and Japan.”
“Currently, 17 countries are listed with beef, sheep, poultry and cooked meats. We must not forget the cooked meats sector. In the beef sector, Korea, Vietnam, China and Indonesia are our new markets. In the sheep sector, they are the USA, China, Malaysia, Algeria and Saudi Arabia, of course. In the pig sector, which is very supportive, they are Thailand, India, China and Mexico. For poultry, they are Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Türkiye. For cooked meats, they are USA, Morocco, Canada, Vietnam and Japan. I have named nearly every country in the world. Our product is sought after because we have put in place obstacles that Irish farmers in all sectors must adhere to. Regarding traceability, consider what we have asked farmers to do and the schemes we have asked them to sign up to.”
“We must recognise and defend the essential role they play in building a sustainable Ireland for future generations. I welcome the visits the Minister, Deputy Heydon, made to Asia in the past month and the Minister of State's visits overseas. Every market we open is another door we open into Europe. One of the key ways we support the agrifood sector is by facilitating market access. Once that is in place and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine officials have gained access to new markets or expanded availability for producers, then Bord Bia promotes and assists Irish companies in maximising exports. Networking with agriculture is pivotal in these areas. Our new markets include Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Washington, Mexico, Abu Dhabi and, as the Minister of State said, six in Europe.”
“All of this is underpinned and made possible by the work of those producing the raw material. I am glad Senators have hit on that here. Raw material is produced by farmers and rural communities. The Common Agricultural Policy is essential to supporting fair and significant income for farmers. The current CAP strategic plan 2023-27 delivers almost €2 billion in supports for Irish farmers and the food sector annually. Ensuring the CAP remains a key priority in the next EU budget or multi-annual financial framework is therefore absolutely essential for our country. If we are to protect the CAP, it is vital we position agriculture and food as major strategic priorities for the European Union. Farmers have a central role to play as food producers, employers and the foundation of sustainable rural communities.”
“The Minister of State is welcome to the House. It is my first time to meet him in person. It is my first time to be elected to the Senate but I have always represented rural communities and farmers. I am a farmer myself and have in the past studied farmers' dissatisfaction with where the beef sector was. I will provide some statistics I am sure the Minister of State is well aware of. The sector is responsible for the stewardship of 4.5 million ha of agricultural land in Ireland and over 800,000 ha of forestry. It consists of 133,000 farms, 2,000 fishing vessels, some of which are smaller than others, and 2,000 food production and beverage enterprises. It employs almost 171,500 people, representing 6.4.% of the total workforce in this country. In an increasingly globalised world, the Irish agrifood sector is a world leader.”
“We have seen shelves in supermarkets in Europe and England that are empty and yet, we have seen the prices fall here. There has to be accountability and stability in this market. As farmers, we cannot be asked to produce a product and not know what the end price of that product is going to be. It is the only industry in the world where one is asked to produce a product without knowing the price of the product when it is finished. I ask the regulator to look at the beef sector going forward. I hope that Meat Industry Ireland and the sector itself could co-operate and that analysis could be published regarding the markets we have seen open up over a number of years.”
“I want to address something that has again raised its head in the last number of weeks. In the beef and lamb sector we have seen beef and lamb prices falling steadily. However, all over Europe we have seen an increase in beef and lamb prices. Members of the House may be aware that we have an independent agrifood regulator in this country. Over the last year the regulator has published price and market analysis on two sectors, namely, the egg and the horticultural sectors. I hope the regulator will now look at the beef and lamb sectors, as we have seen this happen year on year. At certain times of the year we have seen the price of lamb and beef fall with no explanation from the sector itself. It is a commodity that is welcome and wanted all over the world.”