Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for reading that information into the record of the House. We understand all of that. This is a desperately serious situation in the first instance because of the weather, which we understand is out of everyone's control. What we need now is for the Department to adopt a commonsensical approach. In terms of inspections, inspectors are examining land to determine if it is eligible for grant aid, if it is used for agricultural land or maintained using good farming practices, that is, the rushes are topped off. In all sincerity, since the middle of May of this year, the land in question, which is black in nature with poor drainage, has not been in a fit state to be travelled on. The farmers who came to me would normally top this land two or three times a year. Some of the drier land has not been touched or silage harvested off it, even at this late stage.

I raise this issue because of two cases of which I became aware last week. To impose a penalty because the rush cover was not cut off the land bordered on criminality. The two cases I saw were crazy, and I have seen many more cases. I want the Minister of State to convey to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and his officials that they must not compound the crisis facing agriculture. There are major issues for these people in terms of their mental health and their financial well-being, but to compound that by having on-the-spot checks and imposing fines of €1,000, €2,000 or €3,000, depending on the size of their single farm payment, for something that is out of their control is wrong. That is the only income they will have this year because of the weather. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, to convey to the Department my concern about this issue and for the well-being of farmers affected by it.

In his written reply the Minister brought to the attention of the House regulations allowing the spreading of slurry to 31 October.

This is the first dry week we have had since the first week of September. Will the Minister of State ask both the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Environment, Community and Local Government to extend the period into the middle of November?

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