Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's response was incredibly disappointing. There was no acknowledgement of the urgency of the situation and of the impending damage to agricultural stock and the health of farmers. The Minister says that there is fodder in the country. If there is, and I would agree with Deputy Cahill when he says that there is not, people are being charged enormous prices at the moment. They are being charged enormous prices to get it and to have it transported around the country. These people are getting no assistance to support that.

The Minister mentioned that the Minister of State at the Department, Deputy Doyle, met the IFA last week. I understand that the IFA invited the Minister to meet it in Claremorris on 1 December. I encourage the Minister to take up that invitation and to hear directly from farmers in County Mayo and in the west who are affected. A similar meeting is being organised by the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association, INHFA. I ask that the Minister put a scheme in place before 1 December and to deal with this issue before it becomes an animal welfare and stock crisis. He got great kudos two weeks ago for banning wild animals from circuses. He should do something now for the animals on Irish farms.

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