3. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide increased powers and resources for the Agri-Food regulator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6709/26]
Sentiment score: 0.10
The Agri-Food Regulator has an important role in Irish agriculture. We need to restore confidence in the system because it has broken down. We still do not know the names of the three companies that imported Brazilian beef earlier this year. Has the Agri-Food Regulator told the Minister the names of these three companies? When are we going to find out? Was Dawn Foods one of these three companies? I ask because we have a situation where the head of Bord Bia is also importing Brazilian beef. He simply has to go, yet the Minister seems to be absolutely determined to protect the well-connected rather to protect the sector. That needs to be called out.
Sentiment score: 0.15
It is in reference to the sector in general. The farming community has lost confidence.
Sentiment score: 0.12
The confidence of the farming community has been lost.
Sentiment score: 0.25
The writing is on the wall.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Have a debate.
Sentiment score: 0.00
On the agrifood sector, the regulator has stated it does not have enough powers and resources, and this needs to be brought up to speed. As I said, confidence has been lost in the system. The Minister may say this is a pivot but it is all part of the same issue. The farming community has lost confidence in the system because it is being forced to keep standards, and it is quite welcome that they keep to the standards Bord Bia sets and the standards Europe sets in terms of food safety and all those things. They are all in place. Yet they see the people at the top, who are in charge of marketing Irish beef, importing Brazilian beef at the same. It is just untenable that this man can stay in that position. The Minister knows this and the writing is on the wall. Everybody knows it. The farmers are not protesting because they want to. They should be at home. Their cows are calving at this time of the year and they do not want to be up here protesting. They want the Minister to do the right thing by the sector. That is the problem here. It is not a witch hunt against this person.
Sentiment score: 0.06
It is a witch hunt against the sector. The Minister is standing over something that is totally untenable.
Sentiment score: -0.18
Absolutely.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The farming organisation did not import Brazilian beef.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Was Dawn Foods one of the companies?
Sentiment score: 0.00
All the more reason to restore confidence in the organisation.
Sentiment score: 0.70
This is all the more reason to ensure we have confidence in Bord Bia. It has done an excellent job in marketing Irish beef and Irish food around the world. We all know that and it is not in dispute. What is in dispute is that the chairperson of a board charged with marketing Irish food is importing Brazilian beef. It is untenable for him to remain in his position. Everyone knows that. The Minister is trying to suggest the that IFA is to blame. Come on. With respect, the Minister has to recognise that there is a serious issue for the whole system. He is eroding the confidence of farmers and consumers in that system. That is what is happening. The Minister is trying to suggest that this is a witch hunt. If that is the case, then it is a witch hunt to ensure that proper standards are maintained and that people can have confidence in the systems that are in place, which they have to adhere to. If the Minister is going to erode that confidence by keeping this person in place and standing by him, he will have to look at this own position because it is simply untenable to allow these circumstances to continue while farmers are outside the gates of Bord Bia's headquarters protesting about this. They are not there because they want to be there. They are there because the Minister will not take appropriate action.
Sentiment score: 0.14
The Minister has known me long enough to know that is not the way I do business.
Sentiment score: 0.00
5. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that increased funding of the Common Agricultural Policy is a key objective during Ireland's Presidency of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6780/26]
Sentiment score: 0.20
The Minister has known me long enough to know that I do not engage in soundbites. I engage in genuine debate. I hope we have respect for each other in that context. The Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, is the most key element in farmers' income because it is sustainable and long-term and they know it is there. However, there is talk of cutting it by 20% to 22%. That equates to a shortfall of about €2.4 billion. What measures will be taken to restore that level of funding for farmers in the forthcoming CAP?
Sentiment score: 0.14
There was a meeting of the EU's AGRIFISH Council this week. Was progress made on additional funding at that meeting? What is happening? Farmers and people in the sector want to know where matters stand and what progress has been made. I appreciate that the Minister is saying that everything possible is being done and that he is trying to talk to people and so on but we need information and communication around this issue. Without that, farmers will naturally feel they are not being sufficiently looked after. There is also talk of scrapping entitlements. Many farmers, particularly young farmers, had to spend a lot of money to buy entitlements. How is that going to work out? That is key for farmers, particularly young farmers who are not seeing a return on big investments they have put in. Is the Minister in favour of scrapping entitlements? Does he want to see a one-size-fits-all payment across all hectares? What are we looking at in the future? We need information in respect of all of this.
Sentiment score: 0.15
I appreciate that. The Minister also mentioned simplification. Most farmers who have been hearing about simplification for the past 40 years would almost wish that somebody would talk about complication, because it seems to be the opposite that always happens. Every time schemes are brought out, we are told there will be simplification but, in actual fact, it means more paperwork, more red tape and more measures to comply with. We need to start doing what we say. If things are to be simpler and easier for farmers to comply with, it needs to be like that. ACRES is an example. The Minister might say that has been ironed out. I accept that there has certainly been progress in his term as Minister. However, when that scheme was brought out, it was such a mess that the Department did not know how to administer it at first. That again erodes farmers' confidence in the whole system. That is what I am getting at here. All of this is about farmers' confidence in the system. They need to know that, when they are set a particular objective, they will be rewarded when they attain it. That is not how they feel. They are afraid the next CAP will be very much the same.
Sentiment score: 0.21