Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. Like other speakers, my county of Limerick has been badly affected by the fodder crisis. I have met the farming organisations during the past few weeks and know that they were keen to ensure this issue would not be turned into a political football with which points could be scored. They also wanted the efforts being made by the co-ops, marts, the banks and, in particular, the Department to be acknowledged. I pay tribute to the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, for meeting at 11 p.m. on bank holiday Monday night with representatives of the farming organisations in County Limerick to hear at first hand exactly what was happening, in particular, in the west and south of the county where intensive rainfall, heavy soil quality and stocking levels had contributed to a perfect storm in this regard.

I also pay tribute to the leadership provided by the co-ops, particularly Dairygold in County Kerry and Mr. Jim Woulfe who I believe has been to the fore in trying to ensure this problem is alleviated. From the outset, nobody was asking for money to be thrown at it. What they wanted was a co-ordinated campaign to solve an immediate problem, namely, the feeding of animals. In fairness to the Minister, this has happened. Some 730 lorries of fodder have been imported thus far and a further 170 are due. This means some 2.3 million animals will be fed under the scheme initiated by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

It is welcome that AEOS payments are being processed faster. This will make a tangible difference. Another issue which I raised in the House last week and ask the Minister to relay to his colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, is the heavy reliance in certain parts of the country, particularly in west Limerick, on the farm assist scheme, which will undoubtedly cause problems into the future. Like previous speakers, I would welcome the putting in place by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of an insurance package to ensure, as stated by Deputy Barry, in the event of this happening again, that we will be in a much stronger position. There is no doubt but that we must confront the reality that our climate is changing. There are more prolonged periods of heavier rainfall, which is having an impact on food production.

I again compliment the efforts of the Minister in dealing with this and other crises since his appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

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