Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not surprised that the Department has not received any application yet because the applications process is exceptionally obscure. It is altogether unclear to the farming community. It has really been designed as no more than a public relations stunt by the Minister to try to give the impression that he is doing something to address the issue. In fact, the outcome of what he is doing will be an increase in the price of what is an already scarce fodder resource. Farmers who go to meetings or talk to farm advisers about how to deal with the fodder shortage are advised by professionals and Teagasc officials to use grain-based concentrates to try to make the already scarce supply of fodder stretch, yet what does the Minister do? He gives a subsidy to transport wet silage from one end of the country to the other rather than follow the professional advice. He has made the scheme as obscure as possible and it is difficult for farmers to apply. I appeal to him even at this late stage. A small number of areas are affected, but many farmers are facing an acute problem. Will the Minister look at adopting a more sensible approach and introduce a meal voucher scheme instead?

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