Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Concerns for Sourcing Winter Animal Feed in Shannon Callows Area: Discussion
Mr. Michael Silke:
It would be a genuine fear, yes, because we would see this with every farmer whose land is flooded. As I explained, this affects the farmer with grazing land. Most farmers have a bit of both, let us say. They have grazing land and meadow. However, if a farmer was in his callow for one month this year, which is more than what he or she got out of the grazing areas, that farmer should really be entitled to something. It is just the same as the farmer who has lost his or her crop. I am in the same situation, just like Mr. Ryan and Mr. Broderick, as farmers who have lost their crops and grazing. We lost everything. It is not that we are trying to get more money, but there are many farmers with a small amount of meadowland and a small amount of grazing land. We would like to get it clarified. Is the grazing farmer entitled to get something? I do not want to run down the scheme by any means. As I said, we are very thankful and grateful to get it.