Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Healy and the strong delegation from the IFA, both as witnesses and in the Gallery, for attending. I welcome them here. It is a pity that we have to be here at this stage. It is the first week of December and the fact that tillage farmers are in crisis is old news and something that should have been dealt with a long time ago. The reason we are here is because the crisis continues. Those farmers who have lost significant proportions of their crops may be in a minority category, but they are still facing bills, they still have no cashflow and the pressure is still mounting with no sign of relief. I have raised this issue on numerous occasions during Oral Questions to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine as well as on the floor of the Dáil with the Taoiseach, but their heels have been very firmly stuck in on the recognition of the need for a crisis fund for those who have lost their crops. The proposal in regard to the low interest rate for SBCI has a role to play in supporting agriculture by driving down interest rates, but it is a very specific role, not an answer. Debt is not an answer for those who have lost their crops and simply do not have cashflow this year. For that proportion of tillage farmers who have lost their crops, a crisis fund is required. This has been done before. It was done in 2009 and 2010 for the horticulture sector and it can be done again.

Certainly, the IFA has the support of Fianna Fáil. Deputies Cahill and O'Keeffe are here today as well. I have had representations from members of the parliamentary party right along the west coast who have been talking to constituents who are very much affected. We will certainly keep the pressure on. All members of the committee raised this with the Minister when he was here. The potential exists within the state aid de minimusrules to support this. The fact that a loan fund has been set up does not exclude the possibility of a crisis fund to meet the needs of those farmers who are in crisis. There is also scope within the current budget of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine do to it, but the absence so far has been one of will and a recognition of the fact that a fund is needed to support farmers. The IFA has put forward a comprehensive range of proposals today and we will certainly support them but the key measure for those in particular crisis is a fund.

The extent to which farmers have been leaving the industry over the last three to five years has been outlined clearly. The profitability has not been there. We are already a net importer of cereals, which is one of our few areas of net import, and we need to protect the cereal growers we have. To do that, we must ensure that those who are in an unprecedented crisis this autumn receive the crisis funding they need to tide them over and get them through this particular year. The IFA has our full and continued support. In terms of any resolution going forward from the committee today, we are full square behind the IFA request for a crisis fund to support those in need.