Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not denigrate any measures but welcome them, small as they are. I was denigrating the Minister on account of his slowness to take action. I represent farmers in Tipperary and in the whole community. I mentioned the south of the county but up in Cloughjordan, in the north of the county, they were completely burned by the drought. The Minister has made no real efforts to address this. I would love to know what inducements he is giving to stakeholders to come up with the figures he has given us. The situation on the ground is very different and many farmers have huge issues with not having enough fodder and no way of getting funding. The banks effectively are not working and the money announced in last year's budget was not drawn down, while this year's budget was a damp squib for agriculture. Suckler herds are on their knees and farmers in that sector wanted €200 per cow but the Minister gave them €40 but one must weigh calves and their mothers, meaning the farmers must spend €50 to get €40. The Minister's treatment of farmers is farcical.

The west has not been badly affected and it may be possible to get fodder from there, in a reversal of what normally happens. The Minister's inaction is disgraceful and whoever is manipulating them for him, his figures are not real.

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