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

The telling statement from the Minister is that there are no plans at present. I hope that means he is monitoring the situation closely and that something will be done. The vast majority of farmers in the north west, who are mainly suckler farmers, are already experiencing an income crisis. They are getting such a poor price for their product that they find themselves under huge pressure. Now they are facing a fodder crisis. Every week the marts in the north west are full of cows being sold by farmers because they are facing a winter in which they will not have any fodder for their cattle. We are facing a real crisis. It is a crisis for the industry. If there is no supply of weanlings next spring because farmers are not producing them, that will produce a further crisis down the road.

It is a matter of a stich in time saving nine. We must intervene in time and recognise that there is a crisis, and that the Government has a responsibility to do something about it.

I appreciate that there are farmers getting various aid packages and schemes such as GLAS, to which they are entitled for the work they do under the agreements that they have signed up for. This is different. It is something that has arisen due to the inclement weather conditions. We are not talking about spending a fortune but a relatively small sum of money targeted in the right place, but it must be done through a scheme in order that farmers can have confidence and in order that they will not go the market and sell their cattle but will keep them in the knowledge that there is a backup.

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