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JOINT COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD debate -
Wednesday, 19 Jan 2005

Business of Joint Committee.

We have correspondence from Deputy Naughten, who is seeking a meeting with officials from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and from the Department of Agriculture and Food. He wants to discuss the implications of the European Commission's decision to return the proposed re-implementation of the nitrates directive to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government for redrafting.

It is critically important that we call in the officials from both Departments, so that they can explain what has come back from Brussels and how they attend to address it. This has major implications for the farming community here.

I support that request. My constituency will be one of the most affected by this regulation along with Leitrim. It is vital that we hold that meeting as quick as possible.

The clerk has already made formal contact with the Department. We will arrange a meeting with departmental officials as soon as possible.

It is critical we meet the officials of both Departments. That seems to be part of the problem.

We will meet the officials of both. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I also had contact with Deputy Nolan and Senator Browne arising from the recent decision by Greencore to close the Carlow sugar factory. Senator Browne wrote that he would be grateful if we could arrange to invite representatives of the sugar industry, beet growers, Greencore and SIPTU, to appear before the committee to discuss the matter. I invite Deputy Nolan to comment.

As members are aware, Carlow suffered severe job losses in the past week with the announcement of the closure of the sugar factory. It would be in order for the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food to accommodate a meeting with the relevant bodies. I ask for its indulgence. The Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business has also requested a meeting with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on behalf of the workers and producers in Carlow.

Senator Browne and other colleagues in the constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny have contacted me on this issue. It is important, in the context of the ongoing negotiations at European Commission level, that we see the logic behind this. The decision could undermine the negotiations taking place and I am not the only one to have such concerns. There is a separate issue in regard to the potential takeover of Greencore following this rationalisation which could place a serious question mark over the ownership and production of the sugar industry in Ireland.

As someone from a constituency which went through the trauma of having a sugar factory close some years ago and which has not yet fully recovered, I definitely support what has been stated. We need a debate on the overall position of the sugar industry in view of the proposals before the European Commission. It is important to bear in mind that not only have there been job losses in Carlow but that the sugar company in Mallow has indicated there may well be losses there also. From an agricultural and farming community perspective, it is important we have this discussion as soon as possible.

While I do not come from the Carlow area, I have extreme concerns at the recent activity of the Greencore board. It is understandable the company has its own agenda but the consensus of the committee is that this activity is undermining the work we expect the Minister and her Department to undertake on our behalf. It is outrageous the board has taken this decision.

Do members want separate meetings with Greencore, SIPTU and the beet growers?

We should meet them together because there is no point in having three separate meetings. I will have no difficulty if we bring them in separately to one meeting.

That is what I am talking about.

Will the others be entitled to listen while one group is making its presentation?

Certainly.

Every Member of the Oireachtas is entitled to attend any meeting.

I am not talking about Members but about the other deputations.

That is no problem. We will facilitate them to the best of our ability. Is that agreed? Agreed. The clerk will make contact with the relevant groups and try to set up the meeting. It is an important one and should be arranged as rapidly as possible which is what everyone wants.

Our work programme for 2005 has been circulated. I will place it on the agenda for next week's meeting. Members are asked to correspond with the clerk on matters they may wish to suggest for inclusion in the programme. Is that agreed? Agreed.

On the early retirement scheme from farming, a copy of the report prepared by Deputy Wilkinson was circulated recently to each member. I suggest we hold a special meeting to discuss the proposals rather than having it placed on the agenda for the normal fortnightly meeting. Is that agreed? Agreed.

There is correspondence from the UK House of Lords sub-committee on environment and agriculture. A copy of the e-mail from the sub-committee has been circulated. The sub-committee is interested in knowing our views on work being carried out by Parliament on the support of CAP reform, enlargement and rural development spending. Do members have views on this correspondence?

It is noted.

The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, has agreed to attend the meeting of the joint committee on 9 February. If members wish to raise any specific issues with the Minister, they should let the clerk know in advance.

Will the agenda be open-ended?

As a follow-on from the Veterinary Practice Bill debate, could we take up my suggestion that we invite the veterinary nurses to attend the committee at some stage during consideration of the Bill?

That is no problem. The clerk will try to track them down. If there is no other business, the joint committee will adjourn until the next meeting when we will have a discussion with Veterinary Ireland on the Veterinary Practice Bill 2004.

The joint committee adjourned at 1.15 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 January 2005.

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