Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the programme for Government there was a promise that farmers who were struggling to survive would get assistance. A loan scheme was rolled out by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in which banks would give loans at low interest rates to farmers who were under financial pressure. This scheme is not working. To avail of the scheme one must be in the black and a good customer of a bank. The people it was supposed to help, who are in trouble and cannot pay off their loans, will not get the loan at the cheap interest rate because they do not meet the requirements of the banks. I ask the Taoiseach and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to intervene because many farmers are in serious financial trouble. The loan scheme was supposed to help them but it is not working.

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