Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Jul 1989

Vol. 391 No. 6

Estimates, 1989. - Vote 32: Agriculture and Food (Revised Estimate) (Resumed).

Debate resumed on the following motion:

That a sum not exceeding £154,323,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 1989, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Agriculture and Food, including certain services administered by that Office, and of the Irish Land Commission, and for payment of certain subsidies and sundry grants-in-aid. —(Minister for Agriculture and Food.)

Mr. Leonard

Another matter that must be welcomed is the Minister's approach to deal with seasonality in beef production which is a cause of serious concern. A continuation of reduced prices in winter or spring for beef would mean a glut at the end of the grazing season. Not alone would it have serious consequences for our processors in meeting their market for fresh meat for export, but it would mean very poor prices in the glut period. Many of us hoped that the calf beef scheme under the western package would have dealt partially at least with seasonality in beef. Efforts have been made down the years to have a contractual production system between the producers and the processors, but seemingly it has come to nought. I welcome the Minister's decision to make an all out effort to ensure that the seasonality element is reduced as much as possible.

One thing that has been brought home to us in the last couple of years is the importance of the breeding stock, be it cattle, pigs, sheep or poultry. Anyone who visits meat plants and watches the slaughter of animals and the Department officials grading and stamping the carcases will very soon realise the importance of carcase conformity, etc.

I welcome the Minister's words regarding the pig industry where it is hoped output will be increased to three million pigs over a number of years. In the last few months there has been a substantial increase in pig prices. A serious effort has been made by a number of processors and a large processor is my constituency has set up one of the finest and most hygienic plants in Europe for pigmeat production. During the past few months there has been continuing discussion on the need to produce the best quality sheep.

Poultry producers have also been talking about the importance of breeding and hygiene. The Minister mentioned egg production. Unfortunately at the end of last year we had the salmonella scare which was more fiction than fact. To an extent it was played up. We must be very satisfied by the Department's approach in the voluntary code of practice. They will be monitoring egg production on a continuing basis. There were very serious effects on up 100 producers in my constituency. It is worth pointing out that home producers now command 85 per cent of the market while only a few years ago we were asking Ministers to ensure a reduction in imports because of the effects of such imports on home producers. I have no doubt that the proportion of the market commanded by home producers will have increased substantially by this time next year.

Money from the Structural Funds gives us an opportunity to re-examine the rural structure and consider the development of alternative farm enterprises. Many areas of development have been mentioned but they need to be examined closely. Anomalies and problems have arisen, especially in regard to rabbit production and the production of goat's milk. The mare premium introduced by the Minister is to be welcomed and this seems to be one of the more positive areas of alternative farm enterprise.

Recently the Minister announced the rural tourism scheme. This is an ideal opportunity to generate extra money on small farms which do not yield a family income. The tourism measures in the western package are welcome and I hope this will be one of the key areas for development.

Regarding the reclassification of disadvantaged areas, I hope special emphasis will be put on the remaining areas of Connacht-Ulster so that they will get what is due to them.

The former Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Deputy Séamus Kirk, must be satisfied with the results of his efforts during the past few years. Nowhere is the success of these efforts more visible than in mushroom production in my constituency. This success is due to efficiency, proper hygiene and attention to detail. There is no room in mushroom production for the careless man who half does a job, but the person who acts responsible gets a reasonably good return. Well in excess of 1,000 jobs have resulted from such enterprises. Ireland has a very good image in areas where the product is distributed. I regularly meet people coming from England who admire the quality of the Irish mushroom. The system of distribution is second to none and one firm now commands 8 per cent of the market. The Minister must be satisfied at the success in this area in recent years.

I always felt that the withholding of grants from milk producers was a serious anomaly. If a producer exceeded his quota in any year the grant was withheld. The Minister has changed this system and, quietly and effectively, has eliminated the anomaly so that people can obtain their grants.

There is serious concern regarding the eradication of bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis. The Minister spoke about 15,000 herds being affected. There has been a serious breakdown recently in my immediate area. There have been discussions about badgers and so on but it is not possible for a vet or a Department official to identify the source of the problem.

Mr. Durkan

I congratulate the Minister on his reappointment and wish him every success. Perhaps I could also extend good wishes to his former Ministers of State who I hope will be reinstated. I might be tempted to reply to the outbrust from the Labour spokesman but I do not think it would serve the interests of agriculture or the agri-food industry. For that reason I do not propose to respond. The constructive approach of Deputy Sherlock was probably the real reason for the tirade.

During his term of office I hope the Minister and his Department will respond somewhat more quickly to situations as they arise. Before I continue I would like, if I may, to share my time with Deputy Paul Connaughton who wants five minutes.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is that satisfactory? Agreed. It is hoped to facilitate Deputy Foxe later.

Mr. Durkan

In regard to Teagasc we entered the financial year with a particular set of circumstances but as the year progressed we found that Teagasc was sadly deficient in funding and staffing which had been redeployed in all directions because of financial constraints. I have all the sympathy in the world for the Chairman. When he was acting in another capacity he was very outspoken as to what should be done to solve the problems in agriculture. Now that he is on the other side of the fence I wonder about the frustration he must suffer as a result of being unable to do the things that he knows are necessary. The Minister has departed from the House but I am sure the points we are raising will be taken on board.

I want to refer also to the food industry and the proposals for job creation. I am at last justified in some of the things I have said over the past year or year and a half as a result of the IDA review of its proposals in relation to the food industry and its job creation plans, particularly the Goodman expansion programme. I remember asking parliamentary questions here and being reassured by the Minister for Agriculture and Food that everything was on target. It has taken until now for people to realise that what we on this side of the House were saying was correct, that despite all the media hype, despite all the promises, no jobs were created and nothing worthwhile has happened in regard to this project which was to give 6,500 jobs over a four-year period. There is no possible chance of achieving that. As a matter of fact, there have been job losses in practically every area where there were proposals for expansion in respect of the food industry.

In the short time available to me I would like to refer also to the question of disease eradication and its importance from the point of view of the food industry and food exports. This country has established a very high reputation with regard to hygiene, the purity of its products and its disease-free status over a long number of years. That prestige is based on a slaughtering policy whereby whenever disease was detected the response was to slaughter and contain the epidemic. In the past couple of years there have been a number of new, highly contagious and dangerous diseases in cattle, sheep and pigs. This is highly threatening from the point of view of the future of our exports in the agricultural area.

I am very disappointed at the response of the Minister and the Department in regard to how they should deal with those issues. The simple answer is isolation, containment, slaughter and compensation. Without that recipe the problem cannot be dealt with. People will not respond and admit they have a problem in their farm or holding unless there is some incentive to do so. The only way to deal with an epidemic is by quick action, to isolate, contain, slaughter and compensate. There is no other way. In some pensate of the country there were outbreaks which should have been contained promptly but which were allowed to go on for months or weeks. The former Minister of State knows the areas I have in mind — I do not wish to be more specific than that — but it is not satisfactory that the whole matter should have been allowed to drag on. It should have been cleared up within a week. If we want to preserve the good name of our agricultural industry abroad we must deal with these problems. It all depends on what we are capable of doing ourselves.

I asked a number of questions in the last Dáil as to whether the Minister intended to introduce regulations governing the food industry with particular reference to 1992 and to mergers and takeovers and the numbers that might take place in the run-up to 1992. I was always reassured that there was no necessity to worry about this, that it was a matter for the Minister for Industry and Commerce. He may not be so quick to devolve responsibility in that area now. Certainly in the previous Dáil that was the usual answer. This came up again in the last couple of days. In the past couple of days the Minister has suddenly conceded that in the new programme for government there is a proposal to introduce into domestic law provisions similar to articles 85 and 86. It is amazing what a few weeks and an election campaign can do.

Those are just a couple of things I wanted to mention. There are others like, for instance, the need for the introduction of a national milk agency. The Minister has procrastinated long enough, turned it around, shuffled and boxed the cards several times but still has not played them. Let him, for Heaven's sake, deal out the deck and let us see it.

Mr. Connaughton

I am delighted to get this opportunity to say a few words on this Estimate. As the House is well aware, agriculture is very important to our economy and it is a pity we do not have longer to debate the Estimates. However, that is the way these things are done and there will be other opportunities to deal at greater length with the various aspects of agriculture.

In the short time at my disposal this evening there are two important aspects of the Estimate I want to refer to. The first is to pick up on where Deputy Durkan left off in regard to the food sector. In the last Fianna Fáil Government there was a great ballyhoo about what they were going to do in relation to the food industry. The Minister of State, Deputy Walsh, created a great impression at the beginning of the two years. One could not pick up a single magazine but there was the Deputy smiling out at one. I have no doubt at all that the man had great ideas but there was no money to finance them and nobody thought out where exactly the money. would be spent, who would spend it and what the eventual result would be. The Department of Food is not just a headline; it has to be backed up by direct funding and all the things that go with such a Department. It has not been successful expect in one or two areas that I will come back to later.

The lynchpin in that programme was when the Taoiseach, the Minister for Agriculture and Food and some other Ministers got hold of Larry Goodman — or he got hold of them — and the greatest operation ever in the meat sector was launched. There was talk about this wonderful expansion, that Ireland would never be the same again because of this huge expansion by the Goodman International organisation. I want to make it clear that I like to see huge expansion by anybody as long as the farmer gets a better price for his product and people are put to work but, as Deputy Durkan rightly pointed out, we did not get a single job out of that whole thing. Part of that package was the Government's way of compensating the people of Tuam for the loss of the sugar factory. Since then a lot of water has flowed under the bridge and a factory five times the size of the factory in Thurles has been closed by the outgoing administration.

Mr. Durkan

A lot of sugar has melted since.

Mr. Connaughton

Leaving all that aside, this was the way that Tuam would get a replacement factory. We were told by several Ministers at the time and since and by the Goodman organisation that the first new factory to be built would be built in Tuam. Five days ago, out of the blue, the managing director of the IDA announced that there was to be an internal review of the future of that investment by the IDA and the Goodman International group. I am long enough around to know that when a review is announced it will be a review downwards. Will the Minister for Agriculture and Food clarify if the rumours circulating are correct, that Goodman are not coming to Tuam? In fairness, the people of Tuam and of the west generally are entitled to know whether the Government and or Goodman are going to renege on that promise. It is important that the Minister when replying will let us know what is happening.

There was a lot of hype about the fact that the planning permission ran into trouble, but now all that has been settled and An Bord Pleanála have come down in favour of the Goodman group. If the Goodman group were as interested in building meat factories as they are in acquiring creameries, the factory at Tuam would have been built two years ago. It looks as if it is creameries and not meat factories that they want.

I thank the Chair for his forebearance and I hope the Minister will be able to say whether Goodman are actually coming to Tuam.

Mr. M. Brennan

I congratulate the Minister on his reappointment and I wish him every success.

An Ceann Comhairle

I am sorry to interrupt, but may I take it that the Deputy is sharing time with another Deputy?

Mr. M. Brennan

Yes. Deputy Tom Foxe. I congratulate the Minister and the Government on their decision to grant cattle headage payments to all farmers in disadvantaged areas. This was a major breakthrough. For years we have been lobbying for these grants for part time farmers in the west. Small farmers who happened to work in forestry or in the county council did not qualify for headage grants and that was a shame. I am glad that as and from 1 January 1990 all farmers will qualify for cattle headage payments. I congratulate the men whose wives were working, which meant that they were not entitled to headage payments although they were full time farmers, on winning their case in the High Court so as to qualify for headage payments. I am delighted the Minister has honoured that decision.

Small farmers who in 1983 were only sending small amounts of milk to dairies cannot now get an extra quota. I am not talking about farmers with up to 30,000 gallons quota but about farmers with 2,000 and 3,000 gallons quota. The big and medium-size dairy farmers have quite a good living from sending milk to creameries or co-ops. I hope the Minister will try to facilitate the smaller farmers in getting extra milk quotas so that they can raise their standard of living.

I welcome the introduction of the agri-tourism grant as that sector is big and will grow. Agri-tourism will bring money into the economy and, therefore, it is a good thing if farmers can get grants to build extra rooms in their houses and so on. A man in my constituency is involved in agri-tourism. People, mostly Germans, come to him on holidays in a package deal which includes bed and breakfast, a packed lunch, evening meal, and the use of a horse for the day. From that business this man is earning approximately £300 a week. That is extra money coming into the country while giving value to tourists.

The Minister has said that there are approximately 6,000 hectares of land still to be divided by the Land Commission by the end of this year. I hope this land will be divided fairly among small farmers who are entitled to it.

Mr. Foxe

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy O'Kennedy, on his reappointment to the Department of Agriculture and Food.

In the document presented to us we see that the family farm income in 1987 has increased by 31 per cent since 1986 and that it increased by a further 27 per cent in 1988 over 1987. We should look at those figures soberly. The base year being used was 1986 but the income in that year had been down by approximately 28 per cent on 1984. If incomes increased in 1987 and 1988 the increase was badly needed after the bad years prior to that.

I see that an incentive of £20 per cow will be paid to farmers who participate in twinning technology. That is desirable but £20 per cow is meagre enough since this business is really only in its experimental stage. However, the increase in the premium for horses is welcome and very badly needed.

In the meat and by-product processing sector, a sector with tremendous potential for the future, it is desirable that all animals be processed and that we have no live exports. However, the one sobering thing about live exports is that it keeps tabs on the factories so that they have to compete and give the right price for the animals. It was shown in the past that if we had no live export trade the factories could have a monopoly and the price to the farmers would be drastically reduced, consequently reducing their incomes. It is good to see the EC carrying out a study on the seasonality of production in this country. Traditionally, this is the way it has been done and I can see no change in the foreseeable future. It is not on from a farmer's point of view to have more even production throughout the year. This can be done but it would not be feasible given the extra work, the cost involved and the remuneration they would receive at the end of the day.

We have now reached the stage where most of our hides are exported to England and tanned into leather, which we then buy back. Back in the sixties we had 26 tanneries but now we have only one minor one.

In relation to disease eradication, there is an increase of £4 million this year over last year, which may appear generous to those unfamiliar with the farming scene. However, a farmer who loses seven or eight cattle, worth in the region of £6,000 to a factory could lose up to £2,000 on the deal because of their unfinished state. Therefore, this figure is not the most generous the Minister could provide.

We must bear in mind that the agri-food business is one of the biggest employment creating sectors. It is a £5.5 billion industry and employs almost one-quarter of the total employed in the manufacturing sector. Therefore, when we support agriculture and farming let us not forget that we are not only supporting farmers, we are also supporting industry which is very badly needed. Since it uses native raw material we should do everything possible to support that industry and to create as many jobs as possible in processing the product.

In relation to agri-tourism, there is a future for us. Unfortunately, people involved in this sector, in particular farm guest house owners, during the past two years have seen their incomes reduced to nil because of the rod licence dispute, which I hope will be resolved shortly. It is possible it will not be resolved before the end of the season and this will mean that two seasons will have passed by without people who spent money on doing up their houses receiving any income. As well as this, some bad feeling has built up. I hope very shortly this dispute will be resolved.

The Government's programme lays special emphasis on farm efficiency, product quality, environmental protection, rural development and support for disadvantaged areas. All of these are very worthy aims but the fact of the matter is that the body who provided the most up-to-date information on modern technology to the farming community has had its staff decimated in recent years. I am referring of course to ACOT, now Teagasc. Further reductions are taking place at present. I do not see how we can achieve farm efficiency without first of all providing farmers with the necessary knowledge. Instead of reducing the numbers further I suggest that the number of staff in Teagasc should be increased.

We are now moving into a new era in agriculture, as we are in all sectors of the economy. By 1992 many changes will have taken place. We should place more emphasis on supporting home-based industries — let us place hope in the foreign industries also—which use native raw material. This is certainly true in the case of the agricultural industry and every support going should be given to that industry.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I now call on Deputy Ferris, who I understand intends to share his time.

Mr. Ferris

If it is agreed, I hope to share my time with my colleague, Deputy Ryan. He probably wants three or four minutes. I understand the Minister is due to reply at 7.55 p.m.

In discussing this Estimate for £154 million for the Department of Agriculture and Food I, too, would like to congratulate the Minister on his reappointment and to point out to him that agriculture is above politics and it is my role and that of the Labour Party to ensure that we keep him on his toes. We want to ensure that he realises when dealing with socialists in Europe, which he does quite often, that they are a constructive group of politicians. The chairman of Teagasc should also be aware of this as he also deals with socialists although in Ireland and apparently, he does not like them.

In this debate the role played by the former Ministers of State, Deputies Kirk and Walsh, has been recognised and I, too, would like to express my appreciation for the excellent work they have done in this Department, particularly in the area of legislation. When I was a Member of the Seanad I dealt with them on a regular basis. I hope they will be reappointed as they took a refreshing look at most of the problems facing agriculture.

Many of these problems stem from the milk quota régime. An agreed socialist programme in regard to this matter states that where production controls have been set up account must be taken of the importance of milk production in the economy of the various countries. Where is it more important than in Ireland to have regard for milk production? We can produce milk more efficiently and cheaply than any other country in Europe, yet we are strangled by the milk quota system. Despite the Minister's efforts, which he has outlined today, young farmers have little hope of getting into milk production. Who would have thought the day would come in Ireland when a small farmer supplying milk to a creamery in December would be told that he would not receive his milk cheque, until the following April or May? What will happen this year, given the drought, I do not know but certainly at present young farmers are unable to get into milk production under the present milk quota régime which also acts as a disincentive for farmers in milk production to increase their production through improved farming methods.

Teagasc stated there has been a 27 per cent increase in farm incomes. It is impossible to identify the source of this information. As my comrade Deputy Stagg said, Teagasc are only dealing with the higher echelons in the farming organisations and with the highest income earners. There is no data on the incomes of small farmers. Teagasc are not being approached by small farmers as they cannot afford their services any more. Therefore, these figures are not in keeping with what is perceived to be the position in rural Ireland where there is much poverty. The most recent figures indicate that many farmers have incomes below the average social welfare income.

That leads to the question of how we can support incomes in rural Ireland where people want to stay on the land and do not want to go into the villages and towns looking for work which is not there. It should be the policy of the new Government to extend and reclassify the disadvantaged areas and to make some progress in that regard. Certainly, the Minister attended public meetings before this and the last election at which he promised a dynamic approach to reclassification of the disadvantaged areas, reclassifying the existing areas and bringing in new areas. In spite of the promises made, with farmers being told that increased grants would flow into their coffers last October, no new applications have been completed. We understand from the Minister that he has made application but I am concerned because apart from the outline regulations laid down by the Community for disadvantaged areas this Government and the previous one brought in rules of their own which made it impossible for some people to qualify for these grants. They have reduced the off-farm income allowed from over £6,000 to just over £5,000 while the comparable income in Germany is £25,000. Why should our part-time farmers be at a disadvantage compared with our collegues in Germany as part of the Community? It was this Government who laid down that regulation and not the Community.

Likewise, they laid down restrictions about the level of population in areas so, in theory, they could redesignate the whole of Ireland and bring in regulations that would preclude people from within those designated areas from benefiting from this type of improvement for disadvantaged areas. I regret that retrograde step. I also regret that this Government and the previous one have not addressed the problem of land tax which is a major issue. If it is not approached properly, it will still act as a disincentive.

In the area of disease eradication, I endeavoured to raise the matter of a particular disease this morning on the Order of Business. I have been involved since Father Hayes introduced a pilot scheme for disease eradication in Bansha, back in the fifties, before there was any Department of Agriculture interest in such a scheme. He stimulated that interest through the concept of Muintir na Tíire. At that time farmers were compensated by replacement of the reactors. Nowadays they are at a total loss as a result of this scheme. The Department have not applied the proper plans for epidemiology to ensure that the disease can be specifically traced. Farmers are not prepared to put any funds into a scheme because they have been at a net loss as a result of the present scheme from the day of its inception. I hope the Minister's recent announcement in the areas of epidemiology will produce figures that will justify farmers participating as they did, voluntarily or otherwise, in the scheme up to now.

Like Deputy O'Keeffe, I am concerned about the continuing outbreak of brucellosis. Something more will have to be done in that area. With regard to sheep disease in particular and the animal diseases Act of 1966, I suggested this morning on the Order of Business and by way of Adjournment debate that the Minister should designate a particular new disease of sheep — new in this country at least — which is jaasikite. This is a very serious sheep disease which causes extreme losses, with lung cancer lesions leading to emaciation and death among sheep flocks. Two flocks numbering 570 sheep, in Donegal and Wicklow have been destroyed already. It would cost at the moment approximately £1,500 to compensate for the losses if it was designated as a notifiable disease but, apart from compensation, the sheep industry is so important that there must be an obligation on those in veterinary practices and the flock owners to notify the Department of an outbreak of this disease.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Normally I would not interrupt a Deputy on his maiden speech, but I do so to advise him that he is running the risk of being accused of having turned his back on his earlier expression of generosity and magnanimity towards his colleagues. He has only one or two minutes left now.

Mr. Ferris

It is important that the Minister should be aware of this disease. In east Scotland and in Iceland losses have occurred which run to £74 million. I shall not have another opportunity to speak on this matter before the House adjourns for the summer recess and it is important that the Minister apply himself with a little courage to this problem before irreparable damage is done to the sheep industry. I had many other things to say but I may say them in private in our constituency.

Mr. Durkan

That sounds like a threat.

Mr. G. Mitchell

A word in your ear.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy Ryan will now be treated to two minutes of the Minister's time.

Mr. Ryan

I appreciate that, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I want to take this brief opportunity to make a plea for a group in my own constituency, the horticulaturalists in north County Dublin and particularly the tomato growers. We have a great potential there and we appreciate the work done by the former Minister of State, Deputy Kirk, throughout the year. However, the whole tomato industry in north County Dublin comprising 60 acres under tomatoes and with potential for the employment of 6,000 people is at risk.

The important topic is a return for the growers but at the moment the efforts they have made have not resulted in a satisfactory return. It is not good enough that the price of tomatoes should be determined in auction in Holland. The Dutch growers have a vested interest in this; there is not the slightest doubt about that. If they are successful in knocking out our tomato industry over the next couple of years, they will have the market all to themselves. It is a scandal that at a time when Irish growers are being told there is a glut and that they should not bring any more tomatoes to market, at 5 o'clock one morning last week in the market I saw Dutch tomatoes coming in. Last week the growers took action and dumped tomatoes, but I am not saying for one moment that I am at one with them in that respect. It was felt to be the only action that could be taken to try to bring back some sort of sanity.

The Irish consumer will take a good quality Irish product. Very great efforts have been made throughout the years to improve the quality of our tomatoes and other products of the horticultural industry. We must give the growers the encouragement they need. They have invested much, particularly with regard to the use of natural gas and we must see that they get a reasonable return. I recognise the efforts of the former Minister of State, Deputy Kirk, over the years, but enough has not been done. We must change the attitude of the Irish consumer and get the distributors and growers to have a national outlook. This industry has great potential. I hope the Minister can bring together the different strands to ensure that there is a future for this industry, not only in north County Dublin but in the country as a whole. It is in these areas that there is potential for employment.

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. O'Kennedy)

Ar dtús ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis na Teachtaí a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht agus go háirithe na Baill nua sa Teach a raibh suim acu teacht isteach agus a chur in iúl dúinn to léir cé chomh tábhachtach agus atá an talmhaíocht agus bia do mhuintir na hÉireann.

First, I should like to thank all who have contributed to the debate, but particularly those who made their maiden speeches on agriculture in this House. Deputy Ferris, my fellow Tipperary man although not of the same constituency, Deputy Ryan and Deputy Foxe. I regret that time constraints do not allow me to reply to some of the very interesting points made by them.

I hope the House will understand I have to take two or three themes from what has emerged during the very interesting response on a very important Estimate. I do not expect praise in these areas, but my two colleagues, Deputies Leonard and Brennan, properly focused on what has been done. For that I must express appreciation to them.

I assure Members on the benches opposite who have spoken that my roots — and those of the party — are very firmly based on social policy and principle. If this has not been evident in what I have done over the last two and a half years it never will be. Contrast that with what was done by the Coalition Government which included the Labour Party. However, I will not go back over that.

Mr. J. O'Keeffe

Which Coalition?

Mr. O'Kennedy

When the Commission introduced the quota system, adopted by the Council, it was because they recognised the importance of dairy production in Ireland. They offered 4.5 per cent extra to Ireland over our 1983 deliveries.

Mr. J. O'Keeffe

This is ridiculous.

Mr. O'Kennedy

The record is there. Having done that, what did my predecessors in the coalition Government do? Instead of keeping the 4.5 per cent as a national reserve for the needy and those who have a special right and entitlement — the small and young farmers — they gave a 4.5 per cent global increase to every quota holder so that someone with 100,000 gallons got an extra 4,500 gallons, the person who had 200,000 gallons got an extra 9,000 gallons, and the person with 10,000 gallons got an extra 450 gallons.

Mr. J. O'Keeffe

That is not correct.

Mr. O'Kennedy

Since I came to office I have been determined to see that justice is done and my total focus has been on young and small farmers in line with our policy over the years——

Mr. J. O'Keeffe

How many extra quotas did the Minister get?

Mr. O'Kennedy

The farmers to whom I referred had not only been ignored but shamefully repudiated by my predecessors in Government and that is why I have concentrated consistently — with a fair degree of success — on getting the Commission to reverse their policy. I am glad to acknowledge that my French colleague is a socialist and we have a very warm, easy and effective relationship. We predicted that the Commission would bring forward proposals to establish a national reserve which would give each of us a right to look after those who were so shamefully neglected by the previous Government. The Commission has now implemented those proposals.

Mr. J. O'Keeffe

Is the Minister claiming he was responsible for the additional quotas?

Mr. O'Kennedy

The facts speak for themselves. I understand that it is the nature of Opposition politics to ignore what has been done. Has Deputy O'Keeffe a complaint regarding the proclamation of our success? Indeed, the most constant criticism levelled at me over the past couple of years is that I have not effectively got across what I have achieved. However, I intend from now on to proclaim my successes from the rooftops. After all a Teagasc report has shown that there has been a 51 per cent increase in farm incomes generally, which is a big reversal of the position obtaining during the deep depression when the Coalition were in office.

Mr. Durkan

What did the Chairman of Teagasc think about it?

Mr. O'Kennedy

Members of the Labour Party, The Workers' Party and Deputy Foxe have referred to the vital role agriculture plays in our economy. No other country in Europe and perhaps in the world — with the possible exception of New Zealand — has a pivotal agricultural role at the centre of its economy. We have seen the effect of this renewed confidence in the whole balance of payments, the impact in 1988 being the same as that for manufacturing industry. If that is not success I do not know what it can be termed. I want to tell the House, particularly Fine Gael and Deputy O'Keeffe, that we will see more of this success and they can call it failure if they wish.

Deputy O'Keeffe made an important point in regard to the 1992 internal market and the impact it will have on our disease-free status. He implied that we made no progress in this area. The reality is very much the opposite. The discussions have been conducted at professional and technical level up to this point and I have given a very broad political statement to the Council. The results will prove me right. I have said that the internal market will not allow for free transmission of disease from one member state to another. Let me assure the House — and our discussions have guaranteed this — that no amount of pressure from any other source will divert me from that single purpose. We want to see an internal market which will be of the highest standard in disease control, whether in animals or plant. Lower standards than ours would undermine this vitally important economy. I am glad that the discussions today show that, even though we have to convince 11 other states. I hope this major debate will be developed later and I look forward to continuing it with my colleagues over the next four or five years.

Vote put.

The Dáil divided: Tá, 77; Níl, 72.

Tá

• Ahern, Bertie.
• Ahern, Dermot.
• Ahern, Michael.
• Andrews, David.
• Aylward, Liam.
• Brady, Gerard.
• Brady, Vincent.
• Brennan, Mattie.
• Brennan, Séamus.
• Briscoe, Ben.
• Daly, Brendan.
• Davern, Noel.
• Dempsey, Noel.
• Dennehy, John.
• de Valera, Síle.
• Ellis, John.
• Fahey, Frank.
• Fahey, Jackie.
• Fitzgerald, Liam Joseph.
• Fitzpatrick, Dermot.
• Flynn, Pádraig.
• Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
• Geoghegan-Quinn, Máire.
• Harney, Mary.
• Hillery, Brian.
• Hilliard, Colm.
• Hyland, Liam.
• Jacob, Joe.
• Kelly, Laurence.
• Kenneally, Brendan.
• Kirk, Séamus.
• Kitt, Michael P.
• Kitt, Tom.
• Lawlor, Liam.
• Leonard, Jimmy.
• Leyden, Terry.
• Lyons, Denis.
• Martin, Micheál.
• McCreevy, Charlie.
• Browne, John (Wexford).
• Burke, Raphael P.
• Calleary, Seán.
• Callely, Ivor.
• Clohessy, Peadar.
• Collins, Gerard.
• Connolly, Ger.
• Coughlan, Mary Theresa.
• Cowen, Brian.
• Cullimore, Séamus.
• McDaid, Jim.
• McEllistrim, Tom.
• Molloy, Robert.
• Morley, P.J.
• Noonan, Michael J.
• (Limerick West).
• O'Connell, John.
• O'Dea, Willie.
• O'Donoghue, John.
• O'Hanlon, Rory.
• O'Keeffe, Ned.
• O'Kennedy, Michael.
• O'Leary, John.
• O'Malley, Desmond J.
• O'Rourke, Mary.
• O'Toole, Martin Joe.
• Power, Seán.
• Quill, Máirín.
• Roche, Dick.
• Smith, Michael.
• Stafford, John.
• Treacy, Noel.
• Tunney, Jim.
• Wallace, Dan.
• Wallace, Mary.
• Walsh, Joe.
• Wilson, John P.
• Woods, Michael.
• Wyse, Pearse.

Níl

• Ahearn, Therese.
• Allen, Bernard.
• Barnes, Monica.
• Barrett, Seán.
• Barry, Peter.
• Belton, Louis J.
• Boylan, Andrew.
• Bradford, Paul.
• Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).
• Bruton, John.
• Bruton, Richard.
• Carey, Donal.
• Connaughton, Paul.
• Connor, John.
• Cosgrave, Michael Joe.
• Cotter, Bill.
• Creed, Michael.
• Crowley, Frank.
• Currie, Austin.
• D'Arcy, Michael.
• Deasy, Austin.
• Deenihan, Jimmy.
• De Rossa, Proinsias.
• Doyle, Joe.
• Dukes, Alan.
• Durkan, Bernard.
• Enright, Thomas W.
• Farrelly, John V.
• Fennell, Nuala.
• Ferris, Michael.
• Finnucane, Michael.
• FitzGerald, Garret.
• Foxe, Tom.
• Spring, Dick.
• Stagg, Emmet.
• Taylor, Mervyn.
• Gilmore, Eamon.
• Gregory, Tony.
• Harte, Paddy.
• Higgins, Jim.
• Higgins, Michael D.
• Hogan, Philip.
• Howlin, Brendan.
• Kavanagh, Liam.
• Kemmy, Jim.
• Kenny, Enda.
• Lee, Pat.
• Lowry, Michael.
• McCartan, Pat.
• McCormack, Pádraic.
• McGahon, Brendan.
• McGinley, Dinny.
• Mac Giolla, Tomás.
• McGrath, Paul.
• Mitchell, Gay.
• Moynihan, Michael.
• Nealon, Ted.
• O'Brien, Fergus.
• O'Keeffe, Jim.
• O'Shea, Brian.
• O'Sullivan, Gerry.
• O'Sullivan, Toddy.
• Pattison, Séamus.
• Quinn, Ruairí.
• Rabbitte, Pat.
• Reynolds, Gerry.
• Ryan, Seán.
• Sheehan, Patrick J.
• Sherlock, Joe.
• Taylor-Quinn, Madeleine.
• Timmins, Godfrey.
• Yates, Ivan.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies V. Brady and D. Ahern; Níl, Deputies J. Higgins and Stagg.

Vote declared carried.