Farmers’ incomes were supposed to be protected under the programme for Government. However, their income has been undermined by the Taoiseach and now the Minister, Deputy Bruton, is supporting An Taisce, which has already inflicted considerable pain, misery and misfortune on young people in rural Ireland who require the basic opportunity of being allowed to put a roof over their heads and which is telling pupils, through their teachers, that they should reduce the amount of meat they eat and the quantity of milk they drink. Good parents provide a square meal for their children when they come from school in the evening and milk and meat were always part of a nutritious diet. Are children now going to say to their parents, "We can't eat this now, Mammy or Daddy, because An Taisce says we can't eat it, and the Taoiseach says we can't eat meat or shouldn't eat meat, and Minister Bruton is saying we shouldn't eat meat or drink milk"?

Can we hear what the Minister, Deputy Creed, has to say?

Is that what this country is coming to?

The ultimate arbiters of children's diets will be children and parents themselves. I have absolute confidence in the parents of the country that they would acknowledge and know that a high-quality dairy and meat content are part of a balanced diet. I have every confidence they also know our farmers are producing those products in abundance and to a high quality.

The Government is interfering with that now.