Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It was not getting to where it was needed. If the transport scheme was in place and there was only one bale for every eight farmers, it was not working. I accept it is working now. A number of issues arise, and Deputy Kelleher has put forward some practical suggestions in that regard.

It would be dangerous to be complacent and believe that this crisis is over and that grass is growing. Last week, many of us travelled from here to Donegal and the country was divided into two halves. When we travelled through Meath and that part of the country we could see that there is clear growth. As we went further north and into the west, there is no growth. The western part of the country has not had the warm weather this part has enjoyed in recent days. In fact, it has got colder. Serious issues remain in that regard.

Teagasc has responded very well in terms of advice. The Minister needs to ensure that the board of Teagasc, and I am aware it had a board meeting yesterday on the issue, is directing extra resources into the regions where growth is and will continue to be the weakest. If that involves the Minister allowing Teagasc to move staff around to do that, that should be facilitated and encouraged.

Deputy Kelleher and others made the point that it is probably too late to avoid this happening next year, given the lack of fodder reserve, and that we will still not be in a position until mid-June to move beyond the situation. The Minister must address that urgently to ensure the Department's response next year is not reactionary but proactive and that it is on top of the problem.

I am intrigued by the line-up on the Front Bench. I do not know if it is an indication of the Department to come but Deputy Doyle, as Chairman of the agriculture committee, can invite everyone to come before it in the coming weeks to discuss the reason we are in this position we should not be in. This is probably the first practical example of the difficulties of climate change about which we all talk and now know practically, and we have to assume it will be an annual event given the change in weather conditions.

In the remaining few weeks as chair of the Agriculture Council the Minister might table this issue and consider, in the context of him having to agree the new CAP budget, if some provision can be put in place and a little more flexibility given regarding the solidarity fund to assist Ireland but also countries in southern Europe that may have to deal with other aspects of this climate crisis in the coming years.

The Minister's amendment refers to a delayed spring elevating the issue to a more serious level. The difficulty was a delayed reaction from the Minister. What we have now is sufficient but if it had happened much earlier, the problem would not have been as serious as it ended up being.

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