Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No differently from the comments of my colleagues, I know farmers in east Galway also face a fodder crisis. Urgent action must be taken by the Government to assist farmers in the affected areas as the severe weather conditions since August have left many farmers facing chronic fodder shortages. I can give an example. Just the other day I was speaking with a farmer from around Tuam and normally at this time of year he would have approximately 150 or 160 bales for his cattle to get him through to the spring; he only has 60 bales left as he had to bring in the animals so early. I am looking forward to the Minister's answer and we seriously need a fund immediately. We cannot have a case of kicking the can down the road, as we did last year when it took ten months to address the tillage crisis fund. If that emerges as the case, we will have animals dying because farmers will not be able to afford to feed them.

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