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

With respect, while the Minister of State will be fully aware of the position on the ground, the Minister, who is around the House or in the Department, should have at least come before the Dáil to discuss a most serious crisis facing the agricultural community. The issue was raised in July 2012 when the problem started and on many other occasions since, yet the Minister and his Department have not once accepted that there is a crisis. In recent weeks, I have been approached by farmers who are at the end of their tether. A small co-operative in Boherbue intervened last week and bought silage to distribute to hard-pressed farmers and other co-operatives have done likewise.

It is similar to the tale of the loaves and the fishes because people are counting the number of bales they have left and the level of rations they are feeding to their animals. Some individuals are feeding 12 or 14 lbs of rations to their animals, which is unprecedented. These are farmers who have been obliged to keep their cattle indoors since last July. In other words, their animals have been inside for nine months. In some instances where conditions have been particularly severe, cattle have had to be kept indoors since the end of June 2012.

This is the greatest crisis facing the agricultural community. The millers who are providing the concentrates at present are at the end of their tethers because their credit has been completely exhausted. They are returning to their customers in the farming community and seeking payments on accounts. However, no one has the money to pay them. Deputy Ó Cuív referred to an amount of €7,200. Some farms do not even have €700 to spend. In some instances the sole income for families comes from their farms but they have no turnover and no cash on hand. During my time as a Member of the House, I have never been known to exaggerate on issues but the impact of the crisis facing agricultural communities in my area and in others throughout the country cannot be overstated. I am of the view that a task force to deal with this matter must be established immediately because there are some whose farms or businesses will not survive the week.

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