Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The ultimate solution to the problem is rainfall. Farmers would be well advised to engage with the Teagasc advisory service. In today's Irish Farmers' Journal there is a full page advertisement by Teagasc on the various sectors and the appropriate measures for them.

That headline advice, followed by tailored individual advice through the advisory service - provided by either Teagasc or private consultants who are part of the stakeholder group - is important. I welcome the fact that the financial institutions are indicating an awareness of the issues. They are part of the stakeholder group and are tailoring products to meet demand.

In the context of processors of primary produce, be it in the dairy or meat sectors, we need solidarity across the industry. Any evidence of a lack of that in the face of the current challenges would be disappointing. Many co-ops are meeting to discuss, for example, dairy prices and that should be reflected in the context of the solidarity that is required.

One of the issues I am particularly concerned about is that September is generally the month when water supplies and private wells are most adversely impacted upon as a result of a dry period. We are faced with a situation now where water levels are at an unprecedentedly low level. Groundwater levels are also low. Farmers need to be conscious of that and perhaps take the appropriate measures at this point because there is nothing more distressing on a farm, particularly a dairy farm, than a lack of water. Generally speaking, there is solidarity among people.

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