Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This grouping of Fianna Fáil Deputies has come together jointly to put this Topical Issue to the Minister in order to try to stir him to recognise the very real fodder shortage across the country. Unfortunately, the Minister has shown himself to be very much out of touch with the farming community in respect of how serious an issue it is, having spent most of the past number of months denying the fact that there has been any shortage of fodder.

Given that Sunday is 1 April, it must be clear, even to the Minister, that there is a very real problem. I hope in his response he will at last recognise that there is a fodder shortage in the country and that it is long past time he did something about it. Unfortunately, the transport subsidy scheme he announced a number of weeks ago has shown itself to be a folly and not a worthwhile exercise. Indeed, it is something which was wrong-headed on the Minister's behalf. There have been only nine applications. The Minister's decision to subsidise the transport of an already short fodder resource from one part of the country to another defies logic when what should instead have been introduced was a meal voucher targeted at those in need.

As we now come into a very late spring, the whole country is in need and no part of the country has fodder to spare. The Minister's attention now needs to turn to making contingency plans if the poor weather continues and growth continues not to happen. He needs to make contingency plans to ensure fodder can be transported from outside the country. Will the Minister update us on his reports from Met Éireann on weather forecast projections and on whether this cold spell will continue? We need action and we need the Minister to intervene and to ensure this crisis is recognised. He must do something to assist farmers in need.

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