Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commend my Fianna Fáil colleagues on this committee for asking to hold this meeting. It is a pity the Minister did not make himself available sooner but we are where we are. I understand he is a busy man but I hope he understands the worry that farmers in Cork South-West and across the whole country are experiencing. I know in his heart he does. I thank the Chair and the committee members for allowing me to speak today. I am not on this committee but I travelled all the way from west Cork to speak here and also to speak at the committee discussing post offices. Both are crisis points for the people of west Cork.

At the start of the Minister's opening statement, he spoke about the extreme weather. We had extreme rain and drought, and there is no denying that. I know he is a good Minister but, good and all as he is, he cannot control the weather. What he can control is his reaction and action to the weather. He can also control the reaction and action of his Department. I would like him to take that on board. Any time I hear him speaking about the fodder shortage, he mentions the weather quite a lot. We all know what has caused this but we need action from the Minister and his Department.

I welcome some of the measures he has introduced, such as extending the date for the spreading of slurry. With respect, this did not cost anything. I ask him today to open the purse strings wider and bring in measures that will help the farmers in west Cork with whom I deal every day. They are worried.

On the low-interest loans, which were already committed to, what is happening with them? This time, unlike the last time this scheme was run, when they do come in will the people who deserve the money most get the money? It did not happen the last time this scheme was introduced. It is essential that those who need it most receive the money. When this was last run, constituents of mine paid up to €700 to accountants to get help to fill out the forms, but most of them were shot down. On top of not getting a low-interest loan, they had a bill of €700 to pay their accountants. Some of their neighbours, whom we all know did not deserve it as much as the people who were turned down, did get the loan. I would like the Minister's comment on that.

Immediate action needs to be taken, but we also need to plan for the future. We had extremes of weather for the past couple of years, and it seems it will happen again. In west Cork this morning there was a slight frost, and this is only 4 September. I presume we are in for a cold, and possibly wet, autumn and winter. Immediate action needs to be taken now but also for the future over the next few years. We need to plan. I recommend the Minister take a leaf from the book of the German Government and the German Minister for agriculture, and take a more proactive approach.