I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this issue and the Minister of State for attending.
This issue is in the context of the recent missive from Brussels of 25 April, in which the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mariann Fischer Boel, stated:
Some countries have suffered a serious drop in consumption and prices in the poultry sector which could not be adequately compensated with the existing tools. Thanks to today's agreement, member states who so wish will be able to design measures best suited to their own particular situation.
The last line of the statement from the Commissioner concludes:
Once member states submit their proposed measures, the Commission will have to approve them through the management committee procedure.
I hope the Minister of State will be able to advise us this afternoon exactly what measures the Department of Agriculture and Food intends presenting for EU Commission support. It is important we recognise there is not a single approach which will satisfy the complexities of the poultry sector. In other words, one size will not fit all. It is important we reflect on the range of needs within the poultry sector, which clearly is currently suffering a significant downturn in terms of the market and the issue of consumer choice. This is reactive to the ongoing publicity and tension involved in the threat of avian flu coming to Ireland. Avian flu is not in Ireland. It is important that we use today's opportunity to say so. The points I want to make must be against the understanding that Irish chicken is of excellent quality and very good to eat. I urge people to have confidence in Irish poultry meat as an option for their personal and family consumption.
We have to consider the range of different needs. The bigger processors clearly have certain requirements and would perhaps benefit from consideration of a rescue package or subsidy linked to cold storage. We are looking at situations where there could be anything up to or exceeding 100,000 chickens in cold storage and little prospect presenting over the 18-month span for safe human consumption. We must therefore look at the whole area of supports for producers and processors, but not intervention. I emphasise that, but we could consider export to Third World countries, where there would be a ready market, albeit at reduced prices. We should regard that economically, as part of our commitment to overseas aid, at the same time ensuring we protect the interests of a critical sector of our agriculture economy.
Recently we have seen a deterioration in demand and prices are reducing as a consequence. Regrettably, if key measures are not taken, we will find there will be a need to dispose of vast quantities of poultry meat that have built up in cold storage over the period. At the same time we have a large amount of cheap imports of poultry of questionable quality and almost no traceability coming into the country.
With regard to smaller processors in the poultry sector, cold storage support simply will not address those processors' needs. They need cash flow to survive. I am referring here to companies which are dependent on wings and legs exports to the African market. With the closure of the Benin market, where avian flu has occurred and the opening up of potential in Gabon but with serious price reductions——