Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I very much agree with the Minister of State about the perception and the fact that there were no major surprises in that survey. Farmers feel very much under siege from climate activists, unfortunately. It is not about a blame game. We need to know that everybody is in it together and farmers are very much to the forefront on that. After the marts closed down due to Covid and a lot of the trading was online, when they reopened, people returned to the mart not just for selling. The engagement at the mart is not about buying and selling cattle and livestock; it is about meeting people. It is about the human engagement and the interaction. Has that mart platform been explored and mobilised to support farmers with outlets for accessing services? It is an ideal platform because so many people are in there for the chat. It is not necessarily about buying or selling the cattle. That should be mobilised and I am not sure it is being done as it should. Is there any particular plan for mobilising the marts and that platform to support farmers?

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