Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That was a disgraceful comment to make and I hope that when the Minister gets to his feet, he will distance himself from it.

I know the farming community because I come from it. I know the tillage farming community because I was brought up in it. Its members would not be present today if they had anywhere else to go. They have come here to beg for justice so that they can survive and live on their farms. Is the Minister conscious of the costs that they incurred last year? The cost of seed was borrowed money. The cost of spraying was borrowed money. Conacre renting was borrowed money. The cost of fertiliser was borrowed money. The interest that they owed to banks on their machinery was borrowed money. However, the Minister of State has the audacity to say that there is an interest loan of 2.95% to help them through this period. He is offering them a loan to repay their debts. He also stated that, in terms of tax, the income averaging system would allow for an opt-out in an exceptional year. How can they benefit from a tax scheme when they cannot afford to pay tax, given that they have no incomes?

Is the Minister aware that, across the south and south west, an effort was made to bring obsolete combines to the west and other places to try to salvage a harvest? Is he aware that most of those who are present today and their families outside Leinster House's gates are struggling to put bread on the table? I have been sitting here for nearly 15 years looking across at Governments that lived in a bubble and did not give a God damn about rural Ireland or people who struggled to put bread on the table and make a living. They did not know the realities of what people on the ground needed and deserved. A small amount of money would get these farmers out of trouble, but it will take a political commitment from the Government and everyone in the House to see this through. That is what we must do and stand by.

Not only did farmers lose their grain harvests, but also their straw harvests. I know farmers who have no income, only costs, as a result of what happened over those months. The Government has a duty to provide justice to the farmers who are here and ensure that they can survive, make a living and put bread on the table for their families and neighbours. The Government should also remember the effect this money would have on the farmers' communities, in that the farmers would have more spending power.

People are appealing to the Minister and I am telling him that he has to do the right thing. He has to stand up for the farmers who are present and give them justice. They might be a small lobby, but they are human beings. They are our people and they deserve justice.

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