Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. She says her Department is closely monitoring the fertiliser crisis. In the name of God, it has been going on for the last seven or eight months and there has been nothing from the Department. Mr. Santini of the EU agriculture committee said that this country can intervene on this matter but the Government has failed to do that. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party are going to wipe out the farmers of this country. The Government has had an opportunity to help and it has failed. It is extraordinary that this Government has so far failed to use this tool to assist our burdened farmers and mitigate the higher global prices of farm inputs. It is shameful that it has not done so. The Minister of State talked about Teagasc and collecting information. The information is there. The farmers are facing a massive crisis. When they go to the their co-ops, they are unable to purchase or pay for the goods. Would the Government kindly intervene, like it had to do previously during the fodder crisis? Can the members of the Government at least take their hands out from underneath themselves and do something for these farmers? I ask the Minister of State to please not stand idly by on the other side of the House and tell us that the Government is thinking about doing something or looking into it.

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