Paul Daly
Agricultural Panel · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I am a converted EV driver – I will receive my third electric vehicle on Friday. I charge at home and I have solar panels but I have done a night rate deal with the ESB whereby between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. I can get electricity at 10 cent a unit.”
“At the outset I would like to be associated with the words of the Deputy Leader on the passing of David Andrews. I want to extend my personal sympathies to our colleague, Barry Andrews MEP, his nephew, Chris, our colleague here in the Seanad, and the extended Andrews family.”
“It is way more expensive to go to a fast charger than it is to fill up with diesel or petrol. We need the Minister in here. We need to discuss the infrastructure and the pricing.”
“Perhaps we could also incorporate into the discussion with the Minister awareness of the prevalence of the diseases that are now evident in the agriculture sector. We heard a lot of talk about bluetongue over the winter months, including that it would not be a threat until temperatures went over 12°C.”
“I belatedly congratulate our former colleague and former Leader, Deputy Seán Kyne, on his election. I also congratulate Deputy Daniel Ennis. I do not know Deputy Ennis personally. I have always found Deputy Kyne to be a good colleague, a good friend and a very fair and impartial Leader. I wish him every success in the Lower House.”
“It is very hard to appreciate it at a time when the weather is fine. This may only be a window. It may not be as fine next week. The cycle comes and goes. Farmers need to just stop and think that the work always gets done. It does not all have to be done today. I urge that we would create awareness on that.”
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“It is way more expensive to go to a fast charger than it is to fill up with diesel or petrol. We need the Minister in here. We need to discuss the infrastructure and the pricing. While we were encouraging people to buy electric vehicles, after all the tribulations around the Strait of Hormuz people are coming to it themselves without encouragement. The last thing we want is for them to be driven back by what is nothing short of price-gouging.”
“I am a converted EV driver – I will receive my third electric vehicle on Friday. I charge at home and I have solar panels but I have done a night rate deal with the ESB whereby between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. I can get electricity at 10 cent a unit. A comparison was done on the radio this morning which showed that 73 cent a unit actually works out at €12 per 100 km of travel distance, whereas petrol or diesel is only €10. It is actually more expensive. There is no incentive there. When you are stuck for a charge, you are stuck for a charge. To me, it is blatant gouging. The ESB can sell me the electricity at 10 cent and it can buy the electricity that my solar panels are producing for 19 cent and then it charges 73 cent. It is not the worst. There are other suppliers charging up to 85 cent.”
“At the outset I would like to be associated with the words of the Deputy Leader on the passing of David Andrews. I want to extend my personal sympathies to our colleague, Barry Andrews MEP, his nephew, Chris, our colleague here in the Seanad, and the extended Andrews family. There is an article in today’s Irish Independent about EV charging infrastructure. The ESB has announced that while it has 1,600 chargers, only 1,400 can be used at any one time, although it admits this has nothing to do with grid infrastructure but its own infrastructure as some of these are almost outdated and cannot be used simultaneously by multiple vehicles. It was also highlighted that the latest price increase will bring its KW hour price for a unit of electricity at a fast charger to 73 cent.”
“Perhaps we could also incorporate into the discussion with the Minister awareness of the prevalence of the diseases that are now evident in the agriculture sector. We heard a lot of talk about bluetongue over the winter months, including that it would not be a threat until temperatures went over 12°C. They are well over 12°C now, so we need to be conscious of that. I urge that people travelling to places like Cyprus and Greece, where foot-and-mouth disease is prevalent at the moment, be cognisant and conscious of that. If they come into contact with any dairy or meat products or farm animals, they should be conscious of that when they come home. The last thing we need is an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. As we are not sitting next week, I wish everybody who is taking State exams the best of luck.”
“It is very hard to appreciate it at a time when the weather is fine. This may only be a window. It may not be as fine next week. The cycle comes and goes. Farmers need to just stop and think that the work always gets done. It does not all have to be done today. I urge that we would create awareness on that. In that regard, again this year, unfortunately, Farm Safety Week falls in the week of 20 July when these Houses will be in recess. That has happened in recent years, which has not afforded us the opportunity to have statements during Farm Safety Week. I have given the Acting Leader plenty of advance warning so that between now and the recess, we might have statements on farm safety.”
“I belatedly congratulate our former colleague and former Leader, Deputy Seán Kyne, on his election. I also congratulate Deputy Daniel Ennis. I do not know Deputy Ennis personally. I have always found Deputy Kyne to be a good colleague, a good friend and a very fair and impartial Leader. I wish him every success in the Lower House. I highlight the fact that this is the Health and Safety Authority's farm safety partnership advisory committee's tractor safety week. It is very appropriate that we have it this week - the first fine week of the year. Rural Ireland is buzzing at the moment and the silage season has kicked in. It is important that we again highlight awareness of farm safety and the dangers that go with heavy machinery, as well as the increased and enhanced workload.”
“The plan includes a point on establishing a working group to review internal departmental scheme eligibility and educational requirements to ensure maximum opportunities are available to women farmers, in addition to establishing a process to consider the issue and the design and implementation of all schemes, including improved recording and reporting of gender data. Yet another point is on reviewing the procedures and processes in place for the inclusion of women on herd numbers and as herd keepers. I have run out of time, but perhaps the Minister will give us an update on where we are on all of these. I know the work is continuing. I put on the record that we are working on this but it is not a simple fix.”
“Other recommendations are to liaise with Teagasc and third level education providers so that there are options to ensure the highest possible female participation; implementing the use of more inclusive language and imagery in communications to farmers and about farming; promoting and normalising female succession, including the consideration of any changes required to policy, taxation, legislation and Department of agriculture schemes; liaising with the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners on the barriers for women farmers within the taxation system to ensure greater inclusivity and fairness; and the Department to consider the sponsorship of a woman in agriculture innovation and excellence award within an existing award programme to acknowledge and recognise those who are leading the way in the agrifood sector.”
“It is important that we act on as many of these as possible. They include hosting a series of demand-driven webinars and local events considering local needs to encourage and promote increased female interaction, leadership and participation in the sector, and increased promotion of agriculture as a viable career for women and young girls in primary and post-primary schools to be progressed through Agri Aware and the Department of education.”
“The previous Minister, Deputy McConalogue, launched the national dialogue on women in agriculture, which led to the national women in agriculture action plan, the women in agriculture working group and women-only knowledge transfer groups. Our agrifood strategy, Food Vision 2030, launched by the previous Government, recognises the importance of gender balance to a long-term sustainable future for primary producers. It includes commitments to promote and include gender balance at all levels in the sector and to host a national dialogue on women in agriculture. This dialogue took place in 2023 and explored gender equality in farming and the wider agricultural sector, which is also important, as it is not only about the farm. The outcomes and recommendations informed a report and a 12-point action plan.”
“Gender equality is a core principle of the European Union and the current agricultural policy places particular focus on promoting women's participation in the development of rural areas, with special attention on farming. Despite this, Ireland is only one of two EU states to formally include support for women farmers in its CAP strategy. It is a broader issue than just Ireland, where we are probably ahead of the curve. As Senator Boyhan pointed out in the past 16 minutes, the major issue with this is the lack of resources. It is a bigger issue in Europe where we see we are ahead of the posse on it, but we still have much to do. A lot of work was done by the previous Government and it is carrying through to this Government.”
“I do not think any woman or girl who wants to farm is being stopped from farming in any way; the problem is getting them to want to farm. This is not only with regard to the female gender but the male gender as well. Farmers out there who are aged over 70 or 80 tell us they would love to retire but none of their families want it. We have to make it attractive for people so that they think there is a future and a profit for them in farming. This is as much of an issue as the one affecting the female gender, but I take the points that have been made. There has been some work done. I have a long list but will not go through it.”
“At the moment, my partner, Bernie, is at home farming. Other than on the chequebook, because of the generational renewal problems that we have and the old diehard traditions that the farm has to stay in the family name, this is not reflected. No Government Minister can change that mindset. It is changing with time, through necessity, and because we have now gone from eight to 13 members of a family to one or two, and chances are that there may be two girls, so the option is not there, but, of old, the father would always have said that the farm has to go to the son because it was in his father's name, he entrusted him with it, it is staying in the family name. We are growing out of that but no legislation the Minister can bring in will change that. We have to grow out of it. It is a generational renewal issue.”
“Times are tough in the agriculture sector. Senator Brady and I have to share glasses. I welcome the motion and compliment and thank Senator Boyhan for tabling it. It is a debate and conversation that we really need to have. Without being negative about it, but rather trying to expand the debate, it is not as simple as things the Minister or anybody in the Department can do. I start by acknowledging the strong women in my life. While I have a figure in front of me saying that 13.4% of holdings are registered and hence classified as the women farmers of Ireland, my mother was of the "housewife" generation, a word that, thank God, we have lost somewhat. Her name did not appear on anything other than a signature on a cheque, but she was as much a farmer as my father was, as was that entire generation of people.”
“Anything that puts a barrier in the way of a trade deal involving a country that has an open export economy is ludicrous. As I said at the outset, I support the proposed changes. They have come about on the basis of the recommendation, for what of a better word - Senator McDowell will have a better title for it - of the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court made its decision on a four-three basis. That is a tight game. There probably needs to be scrutiny. I am looking forward to going through the Bill in finer detail on the later Stages as it progresses through the House.”
“The value of Irish goods going to Canada has risen from €900 million in 2016 to €4.1 billion in 2024. The people who are exporting those goods need protection. It cannot be stressed enough that the protection is as much for them as it is for the corporates that will be bringing goods into Ireland. This is in our national interests. Our economy is wide open. We saw the consequences of tariffs last year. We also saw the benefit of the consequences of the tariffs imposed by the USA on Canada and how the Canadians turned in this direction. CETA is only going to blossom. The only winners from it will be Irish agriculture and Irish export industries. That will be the case because of the weakened relationship between the USA and Canada and the tariffs that have been imposed.”
“What is proposed will give Irish exporters and Irish investors equal protection. Indeed, it also affords the Government and the State protection. Circumstances change. We have seen already how the geopolitical landscape is changing on a daily basis, nowhere more so than in the area of trade. When the current American regime came into place, we thought that trade sanctions, tariffs, etc., were going to be a big issue for us. They have melted into obscurity in light of everything else that is happening. Never before have we, as a country, or our investors and our corporate entities that are gaining from this seen figures such as those to which the Minister referred. As he rightly stated, since the provisional application of CETA, bilateral trade in goods and services has increased from €3.26 billion to €10 billion.”
“That makes me question the bone fides of said emails. The investment court system is made up of 15 individuals - five from the EU, five from Canada and five from third-party countries. That is in the context of the CETA investment protection provisions. Cases are heard by three individuals - one from each group. That could not be any further from the secret corrupt court that I am being warned about. As the Minister of State has said, on the back of the Supreme Court decision, the legislation needs to be amended in order that awards made pursuant to the investment protection provisions can be enforced. Again, the emails I received give the impression that this is something we are setting up in favour of multinationals in order to allow them to gain advantage over our State and our Government. It is a two-way street.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I welcome the Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Minister of State has provided a lot of information so I will not rehash it. We are on the same page on this. There is no need for me to go through everything the Minister of State has just said. Since yesterday afternoon, my phone has been hopping. I have put it away now because it is still going on. I received over 700 emails. If I am to believe the content of those emails, the passing or not of this Bill is actually the passing of CETA. That is the information in the emails I have received, which also state that we are setting up a secret corrupt court. What sounded alarm bells for me in this regard was that when I checked the sender address on those emails, I discovered that all 700 came from the same address.”
“We have done it with drink in off-licences and supermarkets where they have been put behind closed doors. We have done it with cigarettes, taken away the branding and put them behind closed doors. When you walk into a shop now, you would not know if there were cigarettes there or not. If you walk down any street in any rural town, along with the bookies, the coffee shop and a few other mainstays, there is a vape shop. This is big money business when they can have stand-alone shops. When big money is involved, there is a big battle to fight. I compliment the Minister of State and guarantee our support through the process of the Bill.”
“He said they would know in the afternoon students were after having - it would not have been vanilla - in a vape at dinner time. It was obvious. While some were over 18 and you could not stop them vaping in their own time during lunch, it was not vanilla they were vaping, was the way he put it. It was hard stuff. How do we know what is in them and who puts what into them? I welcome the Bill. The Minister of State will have our full support. It is a move in the right direction. It is a personal opinion that they should be banned in their entirety but at least the Minister of State is making an effort and starting the wheels in motion. If disposable vapes are banned, I also agree with what was said by previous speakers that they are too obvious and evident.”
“That is not to justify cigarettes - at least I knew what was in them and what I was smoking. A good friend of mine said if you want to stay smoking, smoke a cigar because it is pure tobacco and you will not get a better smoke. A cigarette has some additives but a vape has God knows what. The single-use vape thing takes from the whole health side of this Bill. It sounds as if this is a litter issue and the Bill is being introduced to avoid unwanted litter and disposable vapes. It actually is a health Bill being introduced for health purposes. I would ban them all. I had a good social conversation with the principal of a secondary school about a year ago. While he had a list the length of his arm of asks when it came to the educational needs of the school, when he had the ear of a politician, his one request was to ban vapes.”
“I welcome the Minister of State and compliment her on the great work she is doing on this Bill. I apologise there was nobody here from her own party. There was a misunderstanding and I am here now with no homework done. As a reformed smoker for the moment anyway because you are never completely off them, I can probably speak on this topic without have done the proverbial homework. The Bill does not go far enough. I am speaking personally in that I think vapes should be banned, end of story. I would have cigarettes 100 times a day before I would touch a vape. I probably could have given up smoking a lot sooner if I had given in to the temptation to use them as a way of getting off cigarettes but I would not, thankfully, let myself inhale something I had not got a clue what was in it.”
“The Minister needs to talk to them and maybe tell the banks to talk to them. If the banks supported them, they might be able to give the fuel to the farmers without demanding payment upfront.”
“Often, and I am as guilty of this as anyone else, we talk of agriculture and food and do not go as far as the marine. Especially by those who come from two midland counties as the Minister and I do, the fishers can often be forgotten. When we talk about our tractors and how much diesel they burn, we can only imagine what a trawler is burning and the extra expense on them. The Minister said he would talk to the banks about being lenient. I ask him to also talk to the fuel distributors and suppliers, who are in many cases now demanding payment on delivery. I know there is extra money involved and the 1,000 litres cost twice what they did. They will probably have to carry more credit but if the farmers do not have it, they do not have it. Some suppliers are saying they will not come out to fill a tank unless the money is there.”
“While this is just agriculture and it is the farmers who produce the food, it would not be on the shelves if it were not for the hauliers. Food production and the cost of food is being affected at every juncture by what has happened recently, and possibly will be again going forward. I plead that we use this is as a wake-up call to build insurances into the coming CAP and all future CAPs for situations like this. Money can be make available for climate actions, floodings, etc., but fuel crises, the lack of availability of fuel and fluctuating fuel costs need to be built in there also. I warmly welcome the scheme the Minister mentioned but I would like to see how soon the money can get to the fishers. I welcome that the fishers are included.”
“There need to be insurance budgets - for want of a better phrase - built into the CAP for situations like this so that every time food production is affected, we do not have to run and protest; have meetings, marches and discussions; gather up a load of stakeholders into a room; thrash out a deal; watch what is going on in the rest of the world in the current geopolitical situation; see what is going to happen; and see whether we will have to do the same thing again in two weeks' time. We have the mechanism there; it is called CAP. We need to revert to what it was set up for, that is, securing food. That will include having insurance money in situ in every CAP to ensure we can support our contractors, farmers and hauliers.”
“Why can we not build a strategy into CAP to get the money that should be ring-fenced for food production? Money has been leaked from CAP to migration, climate and defence. The biggest issue we have as a society and a generation of people is food security and it is way beyond time to commence the debate. Lack of food security is a bigger issue than any other security we have. That has been highlighted in recent weeks by how a war and the closure of one narrow strait of water can threaten the production and security of the food we need to live and eat. We have always been proud of having plenty of reserves to fall back on. That is not the situation any more and this has highlighted that. They are in negotiations at the moment. We need to stress that when negotiating the CAP budget in the multi-annual financial framework.”
“With every CAP that has been negotiated since the original one, there has been money peeled away in the multi-annual financial framework. It is ongoing at the minute; there is a proposal for it to be reduced by 20%. We have gone further away from food production and security in CAP. If never before, this should be the wake-up call that we need to revisit food security and the production of good-quality, cheap food for our citizens. We have the mechanism to do it in the CAP. We cannot be running every time there is a scare. During the past four years, we have had Ukraine and now we have the situation in the Middle East. Fertiliser and fuel are probably the two ingredients that will affect the overall price of food on the table at the end of the day and it seems over and again that these crises and wars are affecting that.”
“I would not be enthused about how soon we will see the terms and conditions of the scheme, how soon people will be applying for the financial aid or how soon people can have that money in their pockets. I hope the Minister can reassure me on that in his final response. It is certainly not reassuring, from where I am standing, and I need the Minister to provide clarification. There was also a mention of EU state aid cover being necessary. Where are we on that? Has that been achieved yet? To broaden the debate somewhat, the Common Agricultural Policy was set up in 1962. Basically, it was a policy that delivered money to the agricultural sector. It was a social contract between the agricultural sector and society for the provision of traceable, safe and cheap food.”
“We do not know if there will be a third package, but what contingencies are being put in place and what analysis is being done as to the need for further interventions? Regarding the current scheme, the Minister says he is working diligently and his officials are working to get it out. The money needs to be paid. The money need to get to the contractors and farmers' pockets ASAP. The cuckoo has arrived and that is when it kicks off on the farm. Now is the time of greatest expenditure. It is now that farmers need the money. I would be a little bit taken aback if, as the Minister referenced, we were still at a phase of deciding the definition of a contractor.”
“Every morning on "Morning Ireland" when it goes to the business news, we hear about the price of a barrel of oil fluctuating at an enormous rate, depending on what utterance has come out of the White House the night before. We are a long way from being out of the woods, to coin a phrase. While I know the Minister is working on a scheme and I will talk about that in a second, the first package was always to be reviewed. That message go lost along the way somewhere. A lot of people took the package as being a final package, but it was never going to be. The Minister was quite clear on that, as was anyone who was asked about it. It was a first offering and the situation was to be monitored, and if needs be, which was the case, the second package would come.”
“I welcome the Minister and the opportunity to have this debate on fuel supports, specifically for the agricultural sector and based on recent events. The deal has been thrashed out. The previous speaker mentioned a number of the stakeholders who were in the room. I think every sector was well represented. That deal is done. It was not an easy deal to do, but I welcome it and I compliment everybody who was involved in what were very fractious and trying times on coming out with a deal that was acceptable to the vast majority. I will not take all of my speaking time because we will not rehash all of that. The deal is done. We know why it needed to be done. Depending on who you are talking to but also, as Senator Boyhan mentioned, on fluctuations in the oil market, it may not be enough.”
“Hopefully, we can bring the delegates who will be visiting the country for the Presidency to the source and production of those food products so we can let them see what a fine island we are and leave an impression of the quality of the product we are exporting.”
“Now, because of the war in the Gulf and the Middle East, the prices of those products will skyrocket anyway because of the scarcity and inability to get them into the Union. We might have to lead out on reviewing CBAM. In conclusion, I welcome the fact the Minister of State has coupled the countries with each county. I hope that can be utilised to the maximum and we bring all our delegates who will be visiting the island during the Presidency to the rural areas and the counties around the country so that this will not all have a Dublin emphasis. From an agriculture perspective again, we pride ourselves on our food exports and the quality of our food.”
“I am not just talking about Ireland here but as a Continent and as a Union, that is, the entire EU. That will possibly be one we have to prioritise. I would like to see an emphasis based on that scenario that we might be able to initiate a review at least if not a revocation of the carbon border adjustment mechanism, CBAM, and in particular, when it comes to fertiliser. The goal posts have moved again. I am putting on my agricultural hat but fertiliser prices will probably rocket now without any CBAM because of the energy crisis and they are a petroleum-based product. In the cases of steel and fertiliser in particular but with many other products also, we are facing a price hike because of the introduction of CBAM.”
“If we were having these conversations the previous Thursday or we were assuming the Presidency the previous Thursday, our outlook would have been a hell of a lot different on Friday with what has materialised in the Gulf and the Middle East. It is the geopolitical issues and the current geopolitical landscape that will probably determine our Presidency. In the previous 48 or 72 hours, energy - the price and cost of energy, oil and gas - has become the number one topic of conversation. It probably will be a major issue for our Presidency. It will be from July to December and we will be heading into winter. First, there was the change to the system of using Russian gas. Now, we have the issue with the Strait of Hormuz. We do not know what our energy costs or our energy security will be coming into the next winter.”
“I know we will be in the unique position of where I think the MFF will probably be decided on for the next tranche from 2028 to 2034 during the Presidency. As the previous speaker, Senator Mullen, said, the fact you are chairing the meeting does not mean you can railroad the meeting but you certainly will have an influence. The Minister of State knows my ask by now but it is the ask of more than just me. Within the MFF, could we secure a fully funded CAP that is at least equal to what the current outgoing budget is? The proposal at the moment is for a cut of up to 20%. I know this will be in the CAP negotiations after the MFF but we would like to see the two-Pillar system remain and LEADER and rural development be included. It is the unknown unknowns, as the old political phrase goes.”
“I welcome the Minister here this morning and thank him for partaking in these statements. I will not turn it into a back-slapping session but I thank and compliment him because as a colleague, he kept us very much briefed within our grouping on the progress to date and the amount of work that he personally, the Department and other Ministers have all been doing in preparation for our Presidency. It is no small undertaking. I do not think anybody would expect or think it is. When he tells us the amount of work that is happening behind the scenes, it explains in even finer detail how much is involved in this and how big an operation it will be. The Minister of State will not be surprised in any way if I mention the MFF and CAP.”
“I know from personal bereavements that there is such solace in getting the remains of one's loved one back into one's possession for the wake or whatever. It must be a nightmare to have to wait one, two or three days. According to the article I read, funerals scheduled by churches and funeral homes have had to be deferred at the eleventh hour because the remains had not yet been returned. Locum pathologists are being flown in to carry out autopsies in the Waterford region. We really need to have a debate on this. We do not want to see the situation deteriorating any further. The sooner we make improvements to bring the service back to the usual high standards of respect that we have for our bereaved, the better.”
“It is very hard to get the terminology right here but we are noted in terms of how we respect our dead, how we grieve our dead and how we treat our dead. When someone we know dies in a neighbouring country, we often have no idea when the funeral will be held. It could be anything up to a fortnight after death. That is beginning to happen here, unfortunately. I would like to have a debate on this in the House. It is a complicated issue in that the pathologists are employees of the HSE generally. When an autopsy is requested by a coroner, it is paid for on a case-by-case basis by the local authority but ultimate responsibility lies with the Department of justice. I will let the Leader decide who we would invite here to discuss this issue.”
“I also want to be associated with the Cathaoirleach's remarks on the late former Senator, Mary White. I have no doubt we will have statements on her in the future and I will make a more detailed contribution then. This morning I want to raise an article published in today's Irish Independent about the post mortem service being in crisis, causing delays to funerals of more than a week. When I read that article this morning, I was taken aback. The article quotes a report from the faculty of pathology in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland pointing out that there is a real crisis in the provision of autopsies. Unfortunately, the biggest delay is in specialist baby death autopsies. All of us will have suffered bereavements of loved ones in the past.”
“How possible that is going to be I do not know but if we leave no stone unturned then none of us can be blamed if it does not end up being curtailed.”
“I will probably be the worst in the world if tomorrow the Minister announces mandatory testing because I suggested it but we cannot make an omelette without cracking a few eggs. We want to curtail this; we want to stop it and anyone who would complain about having to test their bulls is not genuine about trying to curtail the bluetongue disease. I have not yet heard the Minister being publicly criticised over this and in this business it is positive that he was not blamed. The Minister will never be praised when he gets it right, but he will be knocked when people think it was wrong. He has not been criticised on this, so far. I do not want to give the Minister a swelled head but so far he must be doing everything correctly and I hope he keeps up the good work. I is important that we keep it at bay as much as we can.”
“A midge is a hard thing to curtail, fence, control, monitor or tag, so it is not going to be simple. If we know where it is we will be able to limit it but it is helpful that the EU is recognising it now as a surveillance disease as opposed to one for eradication, because that would be nigh on impossible. The other form of spread - earlier I mentioned about the stock bulls or the purebred bulls coming from the North - is through semen from the bulls. I do not know if it can be made mandatory but anybody with a herd of cows or heifers who would be buying a bull would probably like to see that bull tested. I know it may be left to the prerogative of the sellers of the purebred bulls but it might not be any harm that bulls that are changing hands and going to different herds would be tested.”
“As I say, I am very much aware of the fact that the blood test is preferred, but we are taking tissue samples and we are sending them to lab where they are being tested for BVD. How big a job would it be for them to be tested for bluetongue also? I am very much aware of the fact that a pregnant cow can pass it on to her calf. If the calf could be tested when it is being tested for BVD and was positive for bluetongue we would then know that the cow must have been a carrier. This could be done instead of having herd tests or regionalised tests. Could this be considered or worked on? If we are sending in the tissue anyway why can they not be tested for two diseases rather than one? It might be a way of curtailing this. I know it is going to be hard.”
“We can do all the testing we want and we can know that our bovines are free but if this gets into the deer herd, and because of the fact that they are living wild in the woods and among trees, I imagine that is going to be even more of a habitat for the midge during the warmer weather. I do not know if there is a plan in place or what action is proposed, but I would be worried about the deer population when the weather improves and as I said, they would be more prone to the midge. With regard to testing and trying to be solution-driven, we had fantastic success in how we handled the BVD. I know that the preferred test for bluetongue is a blood test. Every calf born in Ireland is tagged and a tissue sample is sent away for BVD purposes. Is there any way we could also incorporate a test for bluetongue into that tissue test?”
“My last three stock bulls have come from Irvinestown in County Fermanagh but I cannot replace the one I have at the moment up there now but if he was tested I would confidently take him across the Border. We need to look into this. I know the Minister has had numerous meetings with his counterpart in the North and we cannot determine it as it is the purchaser who calls the shots. I also welcome the recategorisation in Europe from C to D and E. At least it is an acceptance that there is nobody putting a gun to our head here that we are going to have to try to eradicate this disease. I would have a problem or a worry about our good friend who gets the blame a lot of times with TB, but one of the ruminants that is mentioned is the deer.”
“We would have had a major crisis if we had not been able to get the hides to China. The fact that reopened again so swiftly is very welcome and to be commended. I would also like to associate myself with what Senator Brady said about the North. We have to do something about North-South trade. The breeding season is on us now and a large number of stock bulls of different breeds cross the Border from different herds. It is vitally important in terms of keeping genetics up to date. If an animal is tested and is bluetongue free I do not see any reason why they cannot go from a farm in the North to a farm in the South, albeit that it would be an extra hindrance and extra workload on testing them, if someone really wants to buy a bull in the North.”
“It is vitally important that at every opportunity we stress that point and that we do not scare people off enjoying the valuable product that is our beef. I have a couple of questions for the Minister. I want to compliment him on the speed with which the market for the hides was reopened in China. I know that the Minister had some of the work done. It was inevitable. Once it came to the North and it was in the west coast of the UK and Wales, with the winds it was inevitable that it was always going to happen and it was going to come here. The Department was out of the traps early and actually had some of the market certificates regenerated before it arrived at all, which is to be commended. As I say, the Minister and his people have to be commended on this.”