Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I am afraid the approach of the Department to emergencies facing the farming community has been very poor in the past and, unfortunately, the Minister seems to be following the same path on this occasion. With the tillage crisis of late 2016, the Minister was exceptionally slow to respond and only in the past few months did he start accepting applications for compensation payments. Farmers are still awaiting payments for that. Three months on from the Inishowen flooding, farmers are still awaiting any payment to address the damage and losses they incurred. Tonight, Deputies from our party right across the country have come together to demonstrate urgency in this matter but the Minister's approach is again to continue as normal, with the idea there is no real difficulty.

The Minister needs to grasp this issue now. As we learned in 2012, it is at this stage of the year that the crisis needs to be averted, not in the springtime. Farmers needs supports now. What is required is a fund which would allow them to manage the fodder crisis that is affecting them. It is not good enough simply to stall on this. We need action immediately.

See this speech in context