Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

This matter relates to the fur farming industry in Ireland and I am glad to see the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, in the Chamber to take the matter, which is a burning issue in my own area. There are five fur farms nationally, with two of them from my part of the country.

Fur farms last year exported 200,000 mink pelts to the value of €7.5 million, produced from local raw materials. The Irish fur farming industry receives no subsidies either from the EU or the Government. There are currently five fur farms, with three located in Gaeltacht areas and two in my own area. These farms are a natural and important part of the agricultural sector and contribute to maintaining vibrant rural communities. In these areas there are few alternative opportunities of employment available, and total employment created directly from the five fur farms is 80 jobs, with a spin-off of at least another 80 jobs from food, transport, engineering, refrigeration and construction works. Last year €1.6 million was spent in direct wages between the five fur farms and as an example, one farm in my area spends €35,000 per month on electricity to keep the freezers going. That is over €400,000 per year.

Consumption of by-products is an additional benefit. The farms are valuable purchasers of animal by-products, with the fur farms in Ireland receiving approximately 2,000 tonnes of fish offal and 7,000 tonnes of poultry, pork, cattle and sheep by-products from Irish processing plants. These processing plants can make cost savings on not having to pay rendering charges.

Farmed fur animals are not wild and like any other farmed species, they differ markedly from the wild strain of the species. These cannot be kept successfully in domestic conditions. There is EU legislation dealing with fur farming, particularly the manner in which they are kept, and mink farms have been in operation within Europe for over 150 years. The Irish Fur Breeders Association is a member of the European Fur Breeders Association, an umbrella organisation for fur breeders in 21 European countries. The European Fur Breeders Association has introduced its own code of practice for the care and handling of farmed mink, fitch and fox, which completely reflects the recommendations of the Council of Europe. All members of the European Fur Breeders Association have adopted this code of practice. Animal welfare is paramount at national as well as EU level and fur producers here have the greatest interest in the well-being of their animals. Veterinary inspectors from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as the Minister will know, make regular and unannounced visits to Irish fur farms.

Currently in Europe there are 7,200 fur farms operating, with an annual production of 31 million fur pelts, almost 58% of world production. What the fur farming industry needs is an assurance that it will be allowed to continue. The former Government, led by the Green Party, was seeking to have fur farming banned in this country by way of not renewing licences. To take an example, the licence of one fur farm in my constituency, and by extension all the other fur farms, will run out in June of next year. The farm requires forward planning because the owners must buy in raw material such as food for the mink. In addition, they must reinvest to develop their own business model. They cannot do that without a guarantee that they will have a licence after next June.

The headline figure for employment in the fur farming industry is 80 jobs provided directly and an additional 80 indirectly. That is 160 jobs. The State currently has a production capacity of €7.5 million and this is growing at a fast pace. Given the current economic climate, it would be foolish for any Government not to renew licences. While the Green Party may have its own view on fur farming, I can assure the Minister that it does form part of the agricultural development of the country and meets all the standards laid down by veterinary officers in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The five fur farms in Ireland are highly compliant and meet all the required standards. I hope a pragmatic approach will be taken in renewing these licences and providing continuity for the industry.

If the Minister of State is not in a position to give a favourable response tonight, although I hope he will be, I ask that either he or the Minister, Deputy Coveney, meet the representative body of the industry in the next week to ten days, if at all possible, to provide reassurance and a direction to those in the industry.