All importers have been working very hard to try to secure supplies. They have been assessing all potential markets to source their supplies. They draw supplies from around the world at different times. Supply chains have obviously been disrupted by what has happened but suppliers are working very hard to see where that security of supply will come from in the months ahead. That is the case across feed and, in particular, fertiliser. Energy is also being closely monitored by the relevant Minister. Certainly, agricu…

I will take that question on behalf of the Government and I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. This is something he has been advocating strongly for and it makes total sense. It is something the Government is pushing as a key priority. Within my Department there are grants for solar energy, which are available to farmers to invest in and generate energy for their farms. There has been a good uptake of that but it is something we want to progress further. Key to that is the work the Minister, Deputy Eamon Rya…

I thank Members for the invitation to be here. On behalf of the Government, once again I utterly condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine. We are also mindful of the terrible toll being inflicted on Ukrainian citizens. As a Government and as a people, we remain resolute in our solidarity and support for Ukraine and we reiterate the call on Russia to cease all hostilities immediately and to withdraw from Ukraine unconditionally. At a time tractors are in the fields, lambs are being born and cows and calves are headin…

I thank all Senators for their comments and contributions to what was a very constructive debate. We are all very aware of the challenging situation we are currently facing but I assure the House that my Government colleagues and I are sparing no effort to lessen the negative impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is not possible or desirable for the Government to respond to every unfavourable price move on global markets as the country does not have the resources to do so, especially given our current unde…

I want to acknowledge the presence of families and some workers from the three fur farms, who are present in the Gallery this evening. Obviously, the Bill has massive implications for their livelihoods and for the professions that they have built up over a couple of generations from the early 1960s with the support of the State. A number of the amendments have been ruled out of order for further discussion. They were discussed on different Stages earlier in the legislation process. I have been clear throughout this…

It was the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon.

I thank Senator Higgins. On Senator Boylan's point, she was mistaken. The Minister of State in question was not Deputy Peter Burke, but Deputy Heydon. She was also mistaken as regards what he said. The Minister of State said he would discuss the matter with me and bring it back to me, which he did. As I said very clearly during the engagements I had previously in the Seanad, I will be sitting down with the farmers to bring the regulations to a conclusion. Farmers have had a copy of the regulations, which are in dra…

I thank all of the Senators for their very constructive suggestions on this. I have an update on amendment No. 7. There had been a request previously for a note to be sent from my Department to supply statistics on local electoral areas. I can confirm that this had been forwarded on as part of the debate on that amendment. I thank Senator Higgins for the comprehensive explanation and description behind the rationale for putting forward this amendment. Senator Pauline O'Reilly described very well the rationale behin…

A lot more detail is required, which will follow through from the regulation and subsequently to the forestry scheme that will be put in place to enable this. The Bill provides the platform to enable that to happen. It also sets key principles that will inform the regulation and the scheme. The points the Senator has raised are points that can be accommodated and considered further. There will be opportunities for involvement through the Oireachtas committee system, the wider public consultation system and environm…

The list of trees in the legislation is the list. If Senator Higgins was writing the legislation, she might have missed a couple because she did not include them in the amendment.

Okay. Overall, the thrust of some of her previous arguments is that we should be particularly prescriptive in the legislation lest some pesky Minister in the future might wreak havoc and do things via the legislation that we would not have intended. What she is saying now is the reverse, namely, that there should be more flexibility in addition to what is in the primary legislation in order that-----

It is in the primary legislation. Regarding the amendment the Senator has tabled, which is to insert the native Irish pine, the Burren pine, I understand that the reference relates to the small population of Scots pines in Rockforest, County Clare, which are said to be derived from the original native Scots pine trees. While people refer to these trees as native Irish or Burren pine, these trees are still considered Scots pine and will therefore be eligible to be considered for inclusion in any future scheme aimed …

I am under a little time pressure because I have to be in the Dáil. I thank Senator Pauline O'Reilly for being brief in her final comments. I thank the Senators for their contributions throughout the various Stages of the Bill. There are a lot of good things in it. It is very positive to see the 1 ha initiative. I commend the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, on her role in that. It will also make a real difference to how we can promote forestry nationally. There is no doubt that it is a very sombre day for the f…

I thank the Deputies for raising this Topical Issue matter. I recently met representatives of the IFA, including members of its pig committee, in addition to farmers and I fully understand the scale of the challenge facing the sector. Indeed, we will meet the representatives again at 9 o'clock tonight. As Deputy O'Sullivan said, I met the farmers on Kildare Street today and spoke to them. The continued development of the sector is a priority for the Government given the pivotal role it plays in the national economi…

I thank the Deputies. I accept that clarity as quickly as possible is important. Farmers are making decisions about the situation in which they find themselves. Every pig that leaves a farm at the moment is losing the farmer a significant amount of money, and that is increasing by the day. I am very much aware of the situation and have been liaising very closely with the sector for a significant period of time. The €7 billion scheme announced three or four weeks ago just before the war in Ukraine equates to €20,000…

I thank the Senator for putting the matter on the agenda. I join him to utterly condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine and impact that has on the people who are displaced and the unacceptable humanitarian situation that has evolved there. As a Government and as a people, we remain resolute in our solidarity and support for Ukraine and we reiterate the call on Russia to cease all hostilities immediately and to withdraw from Ukraine unconditionally. At a time when tractors are in the fields, lambs are being born, co…

It is important that we plan. One of the pluses in the real challenges we face is the timing in that we are at the start of the growing season and the breeding season. It is important that at family farm level, each farmer plans for the year ahead and for next winter to make sure that while they are planning to breed, they are also planning to feed. It is important that such a balance is struck. First and foremost, it is important that farmers grow enough grass for the year ahead but also for the winter ahead, and …

I thank Senators for their contributions. There is a clear recognition that the State has decided to close down this industry and as a result of that is impacting on three farms and the livelihoods of those farmers as well as their employees. The objective has always been to be fair and reasonable in recognition of the impact of what we are doing. There has been ongoing engagement with fur farmers in that regard. We also commissioned Grant Thornton Ireland to put together an independent assessment of the processes …

I thank the Acting Chairman and I thank all of the Senators for their contributions. Some of the issues included the repurposing. I have clearly said that this would be dealt with. I will deal with this as part of the regulation, for which I have the capacity. My clear advice is that I have the capacity, as it stands, to be able to do that. Likewise, with regard to additional financial assistance for the workers and employees and the impact on them, this is something I will deal with as part of the regulation. I ha…

I was taken aback when coming here today and I realised that we were only in for one hour and were adjourning for the day at 3.45 p.m. We must work our way through this legislation and finalise it. The breeding season is due to start normally around now. The onus is on me and the responsibility is on me as the Minister, on behalf of the Government, to engage with the farmers to bring this to a conclusion. I cannot stand over a situation where I am doing that with the Seanad in the middle of that negotiation where t…