The average annual income for farmers at the moment is €8,000, which is below the State pension and below jobseeker's payment. It works out at about €4 an hour. Teagasc estimates that about a third of farmers make a living from the farm, another third of farmers are only making a living because they are working off the farm, and a third of farmers are fully in poverty and in debt.

In September, Deputy Deering, the Fine Gael Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and Marine, said it was unreasonable for farmers to expect a price that would cover the cost of production. In what other sector of society does the Government think it would be unreasonable to expect a price that would cover the cost of the delivery of its service?

The Taoiseach said yesterday that the Government has no charge over the price of beef. A leaving certificate economics student could tell him that the Government controls the structure of the market and the structure of the market has a massive influence on the price of beef. Given that farming equals poverty for so many, does the Taoiseach not agree that the position of the Minister, Deputy Creed, is now untenable?

Farmers in this country are facing a crisis of enormous proportions. Many of them have looked at other methods of farming. A total of 225 farmers, many of whom are in west Cork, applied for organic status for their farms. There was a significant list of criteria to meet, such as attending courses, joining a certification body and paying planners to draw up plans. Only 55 of these farmers were successful, meaning that 75% of box-ticking farmers were rejected. This is a flawed system that led farmers up the garden path. It is a significant blow to them and to our environment. Will the Taoiseach speak to the Minister, Deputy Creed, and to the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle, to get the large list of criteria needed to enter organic farming scrapped immediately?

Will the Taoiseach speak to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine? Deputy Rabbitte will speak on the same issue.

We had an hour and half for questions on agriculture this morning but they were not even here.

We will at 2.47 p.m. and I will be here.

They were not even here.

Many people in this House give me advice, so please abide by it. I have asked Deputies to refer to the programme for Government or promised legislation.

And they did not.

The Minister tried to be helpful and he invited interruptions. Let it go smoothly. Deputies have a right to ask questions until such time as we stick rigidly to that, hopefully, in the next Dáil, as it was in the past. We have strayed somewhat and I am the first to acknowledge it.

Exactly; that is my point.

I appreciate that. I ask Deputies to focus on the programme for Government or promised legislation. If there are questions for relevant Ministers, they can use Topical Issues or parliamentary questions.

I will continue by possibly straying a bit.

Be very careful. It is very narrow-----

It was permitted for everybody else. I will do so with the height of respect.

The road is very narrow.

I will keep it short and to the point. On the floor of the House yesterday, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine gave his statement. Since then, what really happened unfolded on "Today with Sean O'Rourke". Perhaps the Minister for Justice and Equality can answer this question and can clarify why Meat Industry Ireland is above the law. Why does it dictate to farmers of this country? It is very unfair that the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine are listening to Meat Industry Ireland and not to An Garda Síochána.

I am not dictated to by "Today with Sean O'Rourke".

An Garda Síochána has made a statement to "Today with Sean O'Rourke".

Let peace break out at this point in time.

The answer to Deputy Tóibín's question is "No". The answer to Deputy Michael Collins's question is "Yes". I will do that. I might ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he wishes to reply to the other question.