Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for calling this meeting and the Minister and his officials for attending. Like other Opposition Members, I could engage in much political grandstanding and sound-biting. However, this is an issue which requires comprehensive stakeholder response of which the Minister is only one. There has been a huge level of hardship, distress and trauma for many farmers. The welfare of the individual farmer has been affected. We must show empathy with the individuals and their families involved. In the midlands, there has also been a significant increase in animal mortality rates. It cannot all be laid at the door of this situation but these rates have increased over the past several weeks.

The whole problem emerged with the cold snap at the beginning of March which led to low soil temperatures, waterlogged grasslands and no growth. There also has been a significant increase in dairy numbers. Many dairymen would have expected to be out to grass from early to mid-March. However, they did not have adequate silage to accommodate these increased numbers. I used to warn that with the rush to achieve Harvest 2020 targets, there would always be consequences. Land is only a finite resource and is only capable of producing X, Y and Z in terms of forage. Due to conditions last September, many farmers barely made a second cut of silage. If they did, it was of low quality and low quantity. It was a perfect storm.

I could throw the book at the Minister but that does not get us anywhere or get one extra bale of silage to anyone. I am not going to engage in that game. In my local area, we have a heavy soil and do not anticipate grass growth until the end of April or early May. Temperatures might improve but soil temperature takes longer to recover, due to the cold and wetness of the soil. When I was farming in the 1970s, we had five-month winters. We are going to have to start moving to a seven-month winter. This is all related to climate change. I agree the meal voucher is probably the most practical and simple support to operate. We know how much it will cost if 4 kg of feed is needed per day over 20 days. It also can be limited.

Smaller farmers are going to be hit harder disproportionately because they have less land and so forth. It would be very useful for a farmer with a small herd of 20 or 30 sucklers cows to have an immediate impact.

The Minister must call off the inspectors. I know that they are always biting at the leash to get out there, but he must tell them to cool their heels. Farmers will have to see a little grass before they see inspectors who, as far as I can see, never bring good news.

There are 4,000 farmers who are still waiting for payments. The Minister must do what he can to get payments to those who are getting the 15%.

On the basic payment system, I was on to the Department about a very significant farmer. In that context, I am glad that some of the big farmers also come to me as a Labour Party spokesperson. The man in question has about 400 cattle. I ask the Minister to have the matter sorted because some farmers have neither feed nor finance. I can give him bell, book and chapter on the case.

Let us be clear and reflective. The climate models predict that from here on, as if we have not already noticed, there will be significant changes in climate. That magnifies the risks. We will have significantly wetter winters and there will also be a subsequent increase in seasonal rainfall. This must be taken into account in fodder saving practices and the frequency of saving. Budgeting for fodder must be gauged accurately from now on. Teagasc's PastureBase Ireland scheme is useful in that regard and farmers should be advised to participate in the programme. I have spoken to a lot of farmers in my constituency recently, some of whom were prepared for this as they had learned lessons from what had happened in 2013. It is important that everyone learn lessons, not just the Government or Deputies but also at farm level. Farmers have to learn lessons. On Monday I spoke to a farmer from County Westmeath. He is moving into some of the stuff he built up in 2015. I chatted to him carefully about this. There was a big rush to have increased stocking rates which, with a change in climate, produced the perfect storm. We all know that a mature cow or bullock consumes roughly 1 tonne of silage per month. Instead of 5 tonnes, farmers now need 7 tonnes. That is not a matter for the Minister but the farmer. Based on current projections, farmers have to be ready to provide this amount. They are facing into long winters of seven months. A lot more can and needs to be done at farm management level. There is a need for effective early warning systems which recognise the factors related to growth rates and so on. I read recently that, between 2006 and 2016, average rainfall was double the estimated amounts for the previous 300 years. We need to get real. Last night I spoke to a dairy farmer who told me that not being able to put his cattle out to graze meant the loss of around €250 per cow per day. If a 50-cow herd is housed for another 30 days, the cost will be between €2,000 and €2,500. Animal fertility is another issue about which farmers have spoken to me.

There are two issues, namely, animal welfare and farmers' health.