Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is starting to sound like Bertie Ahern. That is what he said in 2007. We have argued in here about the increase in the dairy herd. I do not think it is a good idea. Aside from the climate change aspect of it, we are making more problems for ourselves. We cannot have milk without calves, so we are increasing the beef herd, which adds to our climate challenges. On top of that, where is the extra feed coming from? The number of animals in the country has increased a lot so the amount of feed would need to increase a lot. Aside from how we deal with the challenges of climate change, we must accept that sometimes winters are wetter at certain parts of the season than they used to be and weather is becoming more unpredictable. It is part of the reason the banks might not be as keen to give money to small farmers anymore. Maybe the banks find that the industry is less predictable and more precarious.

A lot of money goes to the farming sector and it is by far our best indigenous industry. It is the only real indigenous industry of any size worth talking about in this country. I wish the Government would direct more money towards those who need it most, namely, small farmers. I do not know how we could do that. I am sure the Government has talked about it more than I have. Unless we change tack, I honestly believe the small farming sector is under serious threat and that would be a terrible shame for this green island because it has so much to offer the country in so many different ways.

I was going to talk about a lot of different things, many of them around climate change. I just want to register the worry of small farmers whom I have met. They are genuinely worried about whether they have a future in the game they are trying to make work for them and rear young families on. One of them pointed out to me that some of the small farmers he knew were so challenged, he was worried about their mental health. We all know the link between financial pressures and mental health difficulties. The number of small builders who took their own lives during the recession is well known, as is the number of people who took their own lives because of difficulties with banks. I appeal to the Department to be more conscious of the difficult place small farming is in.

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