Martin Heydon: 'It is my job to fight for agriculture'

I want to start by saying I regret the decision of Michael Healy-Rae today. I want to acknowledge his role as Minister for Forestry and as a good colleague in the Department of Agriculture over the last 15 months. Last Ciann Comhairle, as a sector, we in agriculture face plenty of challenges. It is my job to fight for and defend agriculture in the best interests of our farmers, our fishers and our agri-food sector and because of its importance to our overall economy and in particular our rural economy. I do this in my department and a cabinet and I do it with the support of my colleagues across government because this government recognises the vital role that our farmers, our fishers, our foresters and our farm contractors play across Ireland. The vulnerability of our farmers and fishers to a massive energy shock has greatly concerned all but with government support our agri-food sector will endure. We grew up as young children on our farms being told that there would be no future in farming because of the impending Maastricht reforms of the early 1990s but farming endured. We were told that official reforms, greening, COVID, Brexit and the high cost of inputs following the Ukrainian war were each going to be the end of the world for agriculture. However, farming endured and continued and it will continue to do so into the future with the support of the government like it has in the past. We recognise the exceptional pressure that rising fuel costs are placing on our agri-food sector at such a crucial time of the year. I have heard it from friends, from neighbours and in my ongoing engagements with representative bodies. Green diesel has almost doubled in price from less than €1 per litre in a matter of weeks, right at a time when farmers and contractors are in the midst of the spring work and facing into a busy silage season. That is why this government has approved a substantial package of support. It includes the full removal of all non-carbon excise on green diesel totalling £7.50 per litre and a further support of £0.20 per litre through a €100m fuel subsidy support scheme for farmers and farm contractors. This support of £0.274 per litre will be to the benefit of both farmers and contractors recognising their central role in sustaining essential food production. But this is much more than about just one sector. It is about support for every citizen in this state because when input costs rise it puts pressure on the price and availability of food for all consumers. Energy shocks without support would lead to significant inflation, particularly food inflation, on which we all depend, and unchecked that would have a direct impact on the cost of living for all. By supporting the agri-food sector and our haulers and all those reliant on fuel who play a role in getting food from farm to fork, we support everyone. So we have a choice here to make, Glasgow and Cornwall, as I conclude. Those in opposition can attempt to either dismiss or ignore these supports and try to prevent their introduction or they can choose to engage with me and my department on their rollout to those who need them most. The choice is yours. And I do know the bully boys in the corner never said a word when I was speaking, unlike their interventions when my female ministerial colleague was here.