Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and his officials. I attended a meeting on Friday night in my constituency in Leitrim with the executive of the Irish Farmers' Association IFA. There are serious problems for a constituency like Sligo Leitrim North. The IFA has highlighted the problems that we are experiencing at present to the Minister's officials. Some of the questions that were raised on Friday night concerned low-interest funding. That is vitally important if farmers are going to survive and get over the system that they have. It was also highlighted that there are some outstanding payments under the single farm payment or the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS. Could the Department immediately examine any outstanding payments that are needed? This is putting huge pressure on farmers. The Minister has outlined what he is hoping to do within the Department. However, as a representative for the constituency of Sligo-Leitrim North, which includes parts of Donegal, I have said to the Minister on numerous occasions over the last while that serious problems are caused by the amount of rainfall. This is a disadvantaged area. We get far more rainfall. The statistics will show the amount of rainfall we have got and the length of time for which farmers must house both cattle and sheep. It is a major issue in our area, where there are large volumes of sheep. They must be catered for also.