Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am aware that this is an issue of acute concern to farmers. Obviously, significant numbers of farmers have contacted my constituency office about the matter. I met the president of the ICMSA, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, the other morning about it and have had representatives of the IFA, Irish Farmers Association, on to me on numerous occasions. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine was very open about this issue last week on national radio and many occasions since. It has arisen because of the hardness of the weather for several months. As any farmer will tell the Deputy, farmers have been waiting for some natural heat to bring on growth. The issue is of acute concern in quite a number of cases. The next few days and weeks will be critical for farmers, for whom sourcing fodder is a key priority.

The first priority is that farmers should have access to fodder for their animals. As Deputy Micheál Martin is aware - if he is not, he should be - the relationship between farmers and their animals is very close. One will recall the plight of a poor farmer in Athlone whose cattle were stranded and went to extraordinary lengths to see they had fodder. It is an issue of the farming community caring for animals in the best way possible. I saw the television pictures of the 75 loads of hay coming in from England. The Minister and his Department have been quite open about this matter and want to hear from farmers who have acute fodder shortage difficulties. They have encouraged the co-operatives which have been flexible with providing credit for affected farmers to give them favourable deals, selling fodder at cost price. Feed is being sourced and will be provided for any farmer who has run short. One cannot wait with animals in a case when there is no fodder available.

A relatively small number of farmers have contacted the Department, despite the request to do so, if they were in acute need. Listening to farmers, I note the co-operative spirit is very strong. Farmers who still have silage left have helped others who do not. Available fodder is being shared, while other fodder is being sourced. The Minister and the Department have been in regular contact with the banks, the co-ops and the feed merchants urging flexibility and co-operation in order that farmers who need it can have access to fodder, be it silage or meal. The Minister will again meet the chief executives of the co-ops and the representatives of the banks tomorrow when he will again urge the greatest degree of flexibility and support for farmers in distress. Both the banks and the co-ops have urged farmers to contact them to discuss the terms they have available.

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