Sinn Féin has introduced legislation in the Dáil to set up a ‘Commission on the Future of the Family Farm’.
The legislation was introduced yesterday (Tuesday, April 16) by the party’s current and former spokespeople on agriculture – Claire Kerrane and Matt Carthy respectively.
The party said it wants to establish a Commission on the Future of the Family Farm, which would bring together stakeholders and experts tasked with bringing forward proposals aimed at allowing farms “not just to survive but to thrive over the rest of this century and beyond”.
The legislation was developed during Carthy’s time as party spokesperson for agriculture, before he was moved to the role of Sinn Féin foreign affairs and defence spokesperson.
Speaking after the bill was introduced at the first stage of the Dáil, Kerrane said: “As someone born, raised and living on a family farm, I am glad to have the opportunity to introduce this piece of legislation, honouring a key commitment made by my party.
“This legislation is about protecting the family farm, responding to and planning for the challenges family farms face, and bringing forward comprehensive and practical recommendations on how this can be done in a proactive way,” the Roscommon-Galway TD said.
She added: “It is about taking action to sustain family farms, recognising their value to our island and to our communities, economically and socially.
“We cannot and should not leave the agriculture sector to chance, reacting to some crises, leaving some farmers feeling alone and struggling, with no plan for the threat that some of our family farms feel under, especially with rising input costs and in the face of climate action pressures.”
According to Kerrane, the legislation will establish a commission whose responsibility will be reporting and making recommendations directly to the minister of agriculture of the day, and the Dáil, on securing the economic viability of family farms, and on generational renewal and succession planning.
It’s aim will also be to promote “a better understanding” of how food in produced, and supporting farming families in meeting climate challenges, Kerrane said.
The TD said that the recommendations of the commission would go before the Dáil, and would be responded to by government, which would be required to give a reason on why it is rejecting the recommendation.
Deputy Carthy, meanwhile, said that society has increased demands on farmers.
“They are expected to produce the highest quality food in the world, which they do. And they are expected to do that within the strictest animal welfare, environmental, biodiversity and climate rules in the world. Which they do. What’s needed is fairness. A fair CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), fair prices and fair play,” he said.
“The challenge for those of us in public life is to put in place the framework that will allow our farming community to meet the challenges while remaining in businesses,” Carthy added.
The Cavan-Monaghan TD said that the commission will be charged with examining the needs of the family farm as they contribute to biodiversity protection and emission reductions; and with setting out the necessary supports to “ensure the continued economic viability of the family farm while they do so”.