Vol. 487 No. 8
8 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans, if any, his Department has to create alternative initiatives in farming due to the continual problems in the beef industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5165/98]
I accept there have considerable difficulties in the beef sector for the past two years as a result of the BSE scares in 1996. I am satisfied, however, that in spite of these difficulties there is a good future for Irish beef farmers, particularly if they maximise the advantages of grass based production.
There is already a range of measures in place under the Leader programme and the Operational Programme for Rural Development to assist producers who wish to diversify into alternative enterprises. Through these incentives, considerable progress has been made in encouraging and developing a variety of alternative farm enterprises. These measures will be examined in the context of the next round of Structural Funds.
Is the Minister of State aware that some alternative enterprises which people were encouraged to take up have gone very wrong? Will the Department introduce headage payments to alleviate the problems being experienced by, for example, deer farmers who were encouraged to take up such farming by the Minister, Deputy Walsh, the former Commissioner, Ray MacSharry and the former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey? Many of them now face bankruptcy. Will the Minister of State contact the banks in this regard? The AIB was deeply involved in the project and the farmers were promised headage payments which they did not receive.
I do not believe my colleague, Deputy Walsh, promised headage payments at any stage. The trend in the 1980s was to take up alternative farming and the Deputy is well aware of the successful alternatives in Cavan and Monaghan taken up under the Leader programme. I recently visited some of those enterprises. I am not aware of the conditions of deer farmers, but having regard to the list outlined by the Deputy, if the cat had kittens we would be blamed by the Deputy.
And rightly so.
We are continuing to examine alternative ways of farming. It is a pity the Deputy has adopted a negative attitude to the many successful alternative methods of farming merely because one enterprise is experiencing some difficulties.
I did not select this enterprise for the sake of doing it. At least 50 farmers in Monaghan face bankruptcy because of the way they were led into this business. While it may be a discussion for another day, the Department could assist by providing headage payments to those farmers.
I will examine the matter.
I concede that many options for alternative farming exists.
A question, Deputy, please.
Because of the many disasters which a small number of farmers faced, it might be beneficial if the Department ran a number of seminars or meetings at which alternative farming methods, grants and so on are clearly outlined. The farming community must be made aware that alternative enterprises can work and that schemes exist to assist farmers who take up such farming. There has been negative publicity in this area and we need to improve matters from a PR point of view.
I accept the Deputy's point, but Leader offices and county enterprise boards supply people with such information. The matter has been explained to most communities and Leader officers are prepared to meet any group of people prepared to consider alternative farming.
The Department should drive this initiative.
These matters can be discussed under the White Paper on rural development which will encompass all the matters currently giving rise to problems.
