Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 February 2017
302. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on reported labour shortages in the dairy sector; the policy steps being taken to deal with this by the Government; his views on the number of graduates from agriculture colleges actively seeking employment in the dairy industry; the steps being taken to alleviate this by the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5184/17]
View answerI am aware of the issues facing the entire farming sector, particularly dairy, in relation to the impact of the availability of sufficiently skilled labour. The ambitious growth targets for the sector laid out in Food Harvest 2020(FH2020) and Food Wise 2025 (FW2025) will require the availability of a dynamic and adequately skilled labour force in order to come to fruition. The tightening situation in the dairy sector is of course influenced by the broader economy and the increasing competition for labour from other sectors.
The expansion of the dairy sector, as envisaged in FH2020 and FW2025 is resulting in a continuous increase in the numbers of cows being milked by individual farmers. The general rule is that a single labour unit can handle 80-100 cows effectively. The increase in cow numbers is causing a demand for additional personnel. However the lack of people with the necessary skills to work and manage these dairy farms has the potential to hinder development in the sector.
My Department has formulated a number of responses to this, including the commissioning of Teagasc to conduct research into the factors affecting the labour shortage in the dairy sector in order to inform the development of the necessary interventions. I intend to have the Teagasc findings discussed at the Dairy Forum in the near future with all stakeholders.
My Department also co-funds a milking skills training course run by Teagasc and Farm Relief Services aimed at providing the necessary skills to ensure efficient milking on an expanded scale. I have recently met with Farm Relief Services to discuss their concerns in relation to the shortage of labour in the sector and my officials are meeting them to review the milking skills course in the near future.
Current data from Teagasc shows that the number of graduates from Agricultural Colleges actively seeking employment in the dairy industry is lower than might be expected. Teagasc is keeping this issue under continuous review.
