Michael Fitzmaurice urges ministers to protect farmers and fix Acres
Michael Fitzmaurice urged the incoming ministers to prioritise support for farmers, pressing them on storm damage, Acres payments, forestry licensing, livestock protection and rural services. He called for replacement roofs for damaged sheds, a swift resolution to Acres IT and payment delays, action on forestry licences and protections for suckler herds, TB and the impacts of nature restoration law.
He asked the minister to examine replacement roofs for sheds lost during recent storms, noting that replacement slats are already available and suggesting roofs should be feasible. He flagged upcoming European debates on Mercosur, calf exports and the nitrates derogation as pressures that will affect farming in the months ahead.
He paid tribute to a long-serving Acres official, Willie, returning after 40 years, while warning that many farmers remain unpaid and the Acres IT system is in disarray. He contrasted the strong performance of the Portlaoise team with ongoing problems in Wexford and called for top-level procedural fixes rather than blaming frontline civil servants.
He defended farmers against negative media coverage and urged correction of misleading claims about the pig industry, recalling improvements since the past. He highlighted the loss of roughly 250,000 suckler cows, limits to dairy viability in the north-west and the need to protect suckler and sheep systems, tackle TB and ensure the nature restoration law and new peatland drainage rules do not unduly harm farmers.
He warned that many forestry schemes are in trouble and urged either a simple licensing system or faster licence issuance, noting a 2016-17 reconstitution grant and the need for ground works to be completed within a year. He expressed concern that organised objections could block planting or coating if licensing stalls.
He welcomed rising enrolment in agricultural colleges but said more land access is needed for young entrants and raised concerns about a further delay to the veterinary college at Mount Belia. He also highlighted rising costs for farm plastics and collection, and called for greater recognition of women in farming and their role supporting agricultural households.
Storm damage and shed roofs
He asked the minister to examine replacement roofs for sheds lost during recent storms, noting that replacement slats are already available and suggesting roofs should be feasible. He flagged upcoming European debates on Mercosur, calf exports and the nitrates derogation as pressures that will affect farming in the months ahead.
Acres payments and IT failures
He paid tribute to a long-serving Acres official, Willie, returning after 40 years, while warning that many farmers remain unpaid and the Acres IT system is in disarray. He contrasted the strong performance of the Portlaoise team with ongoing problems in Wexford and called for top-level procedural fixes rather than blaming frontline civil servants.
Livestock, TB and farming reputation
He defended farmers against negative media coverage and urged correction of misleading claims about the pig industry, recalling improvements since the past. He highlighted the loss of roughly 250,000 suckler cows, limits to dairy viability in the north-west and the need to protect suckler and sheep systems, tackle TB and ensure the nature restoration law and new peatland drainage rules do not unduly harm farmers.
Forestry licensing and support
He warned that many forestry schemes are in trouble and urged either a simple licensing system or faster licence issuance, noting a 2016-17 reconstitution grant and the need for ground works to be completed within a year. He expressed concern that organised objections could block planting or coating if licensing stalls.
Training, vet college, plastics and women in farming
He welcomed rising enrolment in agricultural colleges but said more land access is needed for young entrants and raised concerns about a further delay to the veterinary college at Mount Belia. He also highlighted rising costs for farm plastics and collection, and called for greater recognition of women in farming and their role supporting agricultural households.
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Transcript
First of all, to the two Ministers, I want to wish both of you well. I thank you for your engagement so far. I think it's only fair that you get your time to settle in. There's a lot of storms on the horizon for you and to be judging you over the next few years. I think the first thing, Minister, and I've brought to your attention, as both Deputy Minister Haley Ray and Minister Grealish get involved as well, a lot of sheds lost during the storm. I'm asking your Department, will you look at that? We're able to do replacement slats, so surely we'll be able to do replacement roofs. I would ask you to look at that. I know that in the line of Mercosur, that's in the horizon. In the line of calf exports is being debated in Europe. The nitrates derogation. These are all things that we're going to be facing over the next few months. We have to try and work together on this to make sure. Media love kicking the daylights out of farming at the moment in agriculture, where everyone has to know that they need three meals a day. They might cop on sooner or later to know that they start respecting farmers, not kicking the daylights out of them. To be quite frank about it, it's the best life you could have if you could make good enough for living out of it, to be quite frank about it. There's nothing better than going out through cattle or whatever. I do think that we need to take up on some allegations that were made about the pig industry because I was a young fella when we had farrow on pins. They're gone, you know what I mean? And they're totally different than set-ups when I was a young fella. So I think we need to correct the record for the sake of the Dáil. That's not allowed to be wrong information being put out about farmers. Minister in the line of Suckler Cow, we know that we've lost about 250,000 of them. And while dairy may work in certain parts of the country, the likes of the land in the west, in the north, west, where Deputy Minister Greenish is from, it's more a solution to either sheep or Suckler cows. And we need to make sure that we keep a floor under that. Also, the nature restoration law is coming down the line that we have to make sure that we protect farmers. The new drainage rules on peatlands. That's another thing that's coming at us. And we've got to make sure that we, you know, look after farmers. Young farmers, try and get them in on a retirement scheme. And it's not easy at the moment, because with all the bashing that's going on in farming, it's not easy to encourage youngsters. We've got to make sure that we put out a positive message for it. TB is a problem. And we have to all work together at that in trying to resolve it. Acres, and I want to, first of all, pay tribute to Willie, down in the Acres section. After 40 years, he's returning today. And while there's huge problems below in Acres, he's the one person that no matter day or night you could ring him. And I think he deserves to be, after 40 years, to be respected. He's returning today. And I think we should pay tribute to him for all he has done. But outside that, Acres, and look at you're coming into like a bomb in Acres, because there's a lot of farmers not paid. The IT system is up and everywhere. And in fairness, you said straight out, I talked to you the other night, it's going to take a while to do it. It's going to take teasing out. We've got to make sure we bring a bit of confidence back in this. And people, you know, there's how come in Portlaoise, and above in Portlaoise, you have a heap of different schemes. And no matter what new scheme comes out, they're able to get farmers paid. I've always said that about them. I find the team above in Portlaoise outstanding. But be it Forestry or anything else down in Wexford, other than Organic, there seems to be a problem. And I think that he's looking at what is going on or who's calling the shots down there. Because at the end of the day, it's not the civil servant at the bottom, it's someone up at the top that needs to put the procedures in place. In the line of forestry, look at, I know that in 2016 or 17, down south, there was a reconstitution grant done. That's down the road. But we need to help those in trouble at the moment in the line of the forestry situation. Because, look at, a heap of it is gone. Down on the ground. And it needs to be gone within a year. That's the bottom line. We need to either get a simple licensing system or get the licenses out. But my fear on the licenses we have at the moment is that there's a cohort out there that believe you shouldn't either plant it or coat it. And they'll object to every side of it. So that's my fear, to be honest about it. In the line of agricultural colleges, it's great to see the amount of youngsters going into it. If we had more land to be mighty, to try and get more land for youngsters. But there's an awful pressure on land between all. I hope that you can drive on, Minister Grealish. It's near you, Mount Belia. The veterinary college in Mount Belia. I hear it's being pushed out for another year. I hope that you can pull something back on that. This isn't the time to go kicking new ministers because you have to be given a chance. I will mark your cards in the next one, two, three, four years if we're all here with the help of God. But it's not the time to be rattling now. It's about highlighting the different things. Plastics. Another thing. Price gone up for farmers on the rows of plastic coming in. Price gone up for collection. And with an awful heap of food in the country, I would worry about how we're going on that, viability-wise, the way it is. I think that women in farming, I don't think it was mentioned here this evening, very important to make sure you... Sorry, Minister, but I'm talking about all the... Women in farming, it's very important because, you know, for us even here in the Dáil, unless we have someone helping us behind the scenes at home, we're lost. And I think they should be recognised as well. And I think, you know, helping them out. Young farmers needs to be brought into it as much as impossible. I would ask you to do one thing. For the next month or two or three, be it on acres inspections or ordinary inspections after the hammered in the west and the midlands and the north-west got, I would ask you that inspections are pulled back, Minister, because they are in trouble. The sheep industry, look at the price of cattle is good. The price of milk is fairly good at the moment. And the price of sheep is good. But it's about trying to make sure that we sustain that and keep that going for the time being. I wish both of you the best of luck and indeed Minister Hayley Ray. But we will be crossing swords if some of them things aren't delivered. But I will work with you all the way. Deputy John. Deputy John.