Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is the same question I put to the Minister on the previous occasion we had questions in the House. A fodder crisis is developing and has already developed in the north west and along the western seaboard. Deputy Scanlon has tabled a similar question to mine on this. The one thing we would like to get from the Minister today is his agreement that there is a crisis and that something must be done about it. Perhaps we could get that much at least. Farmers are in a terrible situation. Last weekend, I saw farmers trying to make silage in pools of water in my part of the country. That is happening throughout the country. The fodder they are producing will be of extremely poor quality, and if they have to buy fodder, the prices will be through the roof. Farmers are selling their cattle rather than face a winter crisis without fodder. The Minister must step up to the mark and try to do something about it.

See this speech in context