Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his responses. I will not go over what has been said because it has been dealt with comprehensively by people who probably know a great deal more about farming than I do, which is positive.

I have a few questions. One relates to an ongoing issue that arises ultimately from climate change. There have been extreme weather events over the past year and the Minister has said a number of times that this will be the norm from now on, or that he expects that something similar will be the norm. In terms of taking a long-term view on this crisis, what is the Department's view on stocking levels nationally? Will they have to be controlled or even reduced? I am reminded of previous years when I was a member of this committee and the discussion was about increasing the milk quotas. There was enthusiasm at that time about the volume of beef that would be available and that dairy farmers could grow without limit. Before it had even happened, however, there was a reduction in prices and so forth. At what stage do we have to start considering controlling the herd or moving back, and what impact will that have? What long-term view has the Department taken on considering that, if weather events are going to be the norm rather than the exception?

With regard to the banks and the cost of finance, how much of the finance that is being made available is to pay the banks for providing the finance? How much can that cost of finance to farmers be controlled and what would be the impact of that?