Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I certainly would not like to be a Minister with responsibility for agriculture at present because this is something that is massively challenging for any Minister. In fairness to both the Minister and the Minister of State they have worked very hard and have done their best in what are very difficult circumstances. That effort needs to continue because the three Fs - fertiliser, feed and fuel - are killing farmers right now. The impacts pale into insignificance in the context of what is happening on the humanitarian front on the ground in Ukraine, but the impact on farmers here economically is massive. In the context of the budget negotiations, and further to the previous question, I ask that all those input costs be factored into the Minister's and Minister of State's rationale in terms of the package they are seeking. Perhaps stuff that is not directly within their remit has to be examined as well in the overall picture when they are going to the Department of Finance and seeking a package for farmers. The cost of produce and of doing business for farmers has absolutely exploded and gone through the roof. It is unsustainable.

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