IFA dairy chair Stephen Arthur challenged the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to support the dairy sector.

“You are the minister of the best industry in the country,” said Arthur, highlighting that dairy farmers put €2bn of investment into their farms since quotas ended.

Highlighting the fact that successive governments have encouraged new entrants to dairy farming and expansion among existing dairy farmers, Arthur recalled a previous occasion in the Round Room of the Mansion House, only seven years ago.

“I was in this very room in 2015 when your predecessor Simon Coveney said that with the end of the milk quota regime, dairy farming would lead the recovery of the Irish economy.

“We backed ourselves, have trust in us and back us too,” he said, calling for no curbs on production.

Further expansion

In response, Minister McConalogue said that Irish dairy farmers are “world leaders in quality and sustainability”, but fell short of any commitment that future and further dairy expansion will be possible.