Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I sincerely hope that we can read something into the first sentence of the Minister's concluding paragraph, where he states, "I would like to conclude for the moment". I hope that means that he, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle, and the Department are working on introducing a fodder aid scheme and that he cannot give us details of it this evening.

I hope that the Minister and my colleague, Deputy Aylward, are correct and that there is enough fodder in the country. It is strange that fodder has already become so expensive at this time of the year if there are such adequate supplies. I saw people cutting grass - in vain, I think - on the last day of October. I was travelling extensively throughout Cavan, Monaghan and Fermanagh that day. There were a few dryish days at the end of October, and people were cutting grass, but they were bringing in as much muck as grass. I do not know what benefit there was in people trying to make silage from that particular grass. I hope it is of some benefit, but many farmers would say that it is not worth the cost of the diesel.

If there are supplies available, I appeal to the Minister to ensure that a transport subsidy at least is put in place to transport fodder from the wealthier parts of the country to the south of Ulster and to Connacht. There is an urgency about this.

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