Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am very concerned about this fertiliser register. Many farmers in my area are seriously concerned because they need fertiliser to maintain the level of stocking they have today. Without it, there will be a reduction in their herds. It again looks like we are going backwards. We will be in the same situation we were in during the early 1970s, when everyone knew how many cows the grass in different areas could sustain. One person's grass might be enough for seven cows while another person with a great farm could provide for 17. We are going backwards. Farmers did what An Chomhairle Oiliúna Talmhaíochta, ACOT, and other farming agencies told them to in the 1970s and increased their stocking rates. That is what they are trying to live with now. Many of them would not be in existence now if it was not for fertiliser.

I have a question on the fertiliser register. Where was discussion held on it? Were farming organisations or farmers told why this was going ahead? It is clear that it is not for the fun of it. There will be an account of what fertiliser farmers get and what use they are going to make of it. It looks like it is for the purpose of getting herd numbers down and stopping whatever. We all know that you can sometimes put out fertiliser only for it not to work. It may snow or freeze or something else might happen. You may use a lot more fertiliser in one year than in another. I am very concerned about this aspect. I have asked many farmers in my area what this will mean to them and how much fertiliser they will be able to buy. No farmer knows because they have not been told. It is not fair on farmers that there has not been some discussion about it. I cannot understand how this can be introduced in January when nobody knows what they can buy, or if they can get any at all. We were listening to the farming organisations all along. The organisations are saying that we will get it up to the middle of the year, and I hope we will, but it is clear that this register is being formulated to block us in some way. It is not for the fun of it that it is being brought in but to nail us.

I am very concerned about that because farmers did what they were told all along. They made their farms more productive and increased the size of their herds. In 2012 or 2014 the Minister, Deputy Coveney, was the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and told us to produce more milk. It was the new white gold. Now, the Government is doing its level best every day to curtail, stop and nail us in every way it can. What is the need for this register? Who agreed to it? Do the witnesses believe it is fair on the farmers in light of the things I have said? You could use way more fertiliser in a given month of one year than you did the previous year. I heard the witnesses saying that 2018 might be used as the base year. We do not know that. The Government will use whatever year suits its story the best. I am very concerned about this.