Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very proud to be a member of the party that has brought forward the motion. Fianna Fáil does not just talk the talk, it walks the walk. I am very glad that the Government will not be opposing it and that we are receiving support from across the House. I welcome all of the people in the Visitors Gallery, particularly from the farm organisations. I urge them to work together. We are all in this together and it is important that everyone sing from the same hymn sheet. If we even left with that much tonight - with everyone working together - it would be fantastic.

Without doubt, the beef sector is in crisis. Farmers across Cork South-West are literally on their knees and desperate. With respect, the Minister has been asleep at the wheel and continues to be. Last August or September was the time he should have made sure live exports would be run more smoothly. That was the time to make sure lairage and other export facilities would be up and running.

I welcome the loan scheme, even though it was very late in coming, having been announced 18 months ago. It was probably the thought of me going out onto the Plinth this morning that made the Minister make sure it would be introduced today. Therefore, I will go out onto it more often. However, although I welcome the scheme, it is a loan. I would have preferred if it was a grants system. While the Minister is constrained by the amount of cash available, a loan must be paid back and farmers are already struggling. In all of this, I urge the Minister not to forget fishermen in Cork South-West. Especially with Brexit coming, he needs to engage more with the fishermen of Ireland.

See this speech in context