Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

During our trip to Westport I met the Galway, Roscommon and Mayo sheep farmers who are under pressure in respect of their store lambs because the people in my area are not buying them owing to a lack of grass. I encouraged them to take a leap of faith and put them inside because even though fodder and meal is dear, they may get a turn out of it, so to speak. I spoke today to a man who took in 165 lambs last year and offered not be paid for a couple of months. He cannot do that this year as he does not have the fodder.

I met the Connemara hill farmers group nine months ago. It has taken on a man through the JobBridge scheme to find markets for the lighter lamb referred to by the Deputy. At the sheep open day in Tuam, that group was actively seeking lighter lambs in the Deputy's constituency and in other areas in the west. Those are the people we will support through Bord Bia and through some of the supermarket chains in the Deputy's constituency which have taken in the lighter lamb. There is a problem with Portugal and Spain. The Connemara hill lamb producers is a great group, however, and I have no doubt hundreds of farmers will join them as lamb numbers increase.

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