Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the fodder issue, the weather comes and we will have to deal with whatever that is. In that context, building resilience on farms is important. Returning to the point I made to Deputy Pringle on grassland management, this is an area where we can do much more. Previous advice on carrying surplus silage from one season into another regarded it as a charge on the balance sheet and not good farming. We need to move away from that. We need to build up reserves in a prudent way to take account of events outside of our control. That message is swinging back into vogue.

The difference in grassland management is staggering between those who use the science and technology available and those who do not. At an awards ceremony yesterday, I made the point that we need to make things as simple as possible in this regard. We talk about apps and pasture base, etc. Sometimes that is challenging for farmers who may not be technologically savvy. It is simple, however. We are referring to soil fertility that reduces the volume of fertiliser that needs to be spread. We need to make that knowledge available to all farmers because the difference in the yields of tonnes of grass and dry matter between the best farmers and those at the other extreme is staggering in regard to the additional costs. We can make much progress there.

I am advised that there are no undue delays with farm payments. There are always individual cases for one reason or another. There are, however, no staffing issues in the critical areas processing payments. Notwithstanding an underspend in the staff area, we have recruited additional staff to address shortfalls across the range of activities in which the Department is involved.

The Deputy's observation on beef production is incorrect regarding the reason for the decrease. He may be mistaken because there is a marginal reduction in the number of suckler cows, which is accepted, but the beef kill is at almost record high levels. In recent weeks, it has been at 40,000 or more. Suckler cows and the expanding dairy herd have given rise to a larger population of calf to beef in dairy herd enterprises. Overall, then, there is not a decline in beef production.