Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

"That Dáil Éireann:calls on the Government to make adequate financial supports available to assist those who cannot afford to feed their stock and also to transport fodder to this country from abroad;

fully recognises the major role agriculture plays in creating employment, generating economic activity and acting as a custodian of the countryside in Ireland;

appreciates the unique vulnerability and exposure of agriculture to fluctuations in the weather and food markets;

records the ongoing hardship inflicted upon farming communities across Ireland due to the fodder crisis that has been evident in the country since last July and the sacrifices farming families have made to protect their livestock;

acknowledges the devastating consequences that the aftermath of the fodder crisis will have on countless farms and the pressing need for the Government to put in place a structure to address their exceptional circumstances;

criticises the complete and utter failure of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to address the growing crisis in its early stages in 2012, which has directly led to the devastating impact it is currently having on farming families;

calls on the Government to establish a special unit in the Department to oversee and co-ordinate efforts amongst Government Departments, agencies, co-ops, marts and financial institutions to tackle the crisis and its long-term consequences;

further calls on the Government to empower this special unit to keep fodder and credit supplies under review with fail-safe measures to ensure that such a crisis does not emerge again; and

exhorts the financial institutions and the Department to reach a sustained agreement to ensure an adequate supply of credit to farmers during times of acute supply and market pressures."

Ba mhaith liom an rún seo a mholadh, rún atá thar a bheith tábhachtach mar go bhfuil géarchéim feirmeoireachta sa tír. Is géarchéim í seo a mhairfeas go ceann tamaill, mar tá an éigeandáil seo tar éis cur as do fheirmeoirí ar go leor bealaí éagsúla.

On 28 March, I raised this as an issue on behalf of Fianna Fáil on Leaders' Questions. In reply, all the Tánaiste could offer at the time was that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, had "written to the banks to highlight the extreme challenges facing farmers", asked Teagasc to give "specific weather-related advice", and asked farmers to share surplus fodder amongst each other. All of those are worthy, but it did not in any way tackle the crisis.

When I pursued the Government, asking, "Does the Tánaiste believe that advice will feed the cattle?", and when I outlined the importance of the issue of affordability and availability of feed to the Tánaiste, the reply I received was, "Deputy Ó Cuív's difficulty with the issue of feed for livestock is that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, is already ahead of him and has already responded to the matter." The Minister's response was - nothing - to tell the banks to give more credit to farmers who have extended their credit to its limit and tell farmers get advice as to where one would get non-existent fodder.

The Tánaiste further stated, "The IFA has also called on farmers to "take stock of what fodder they have at this stage, and if they have some surplus, they should make it available to their fellow farmers who are in short supply", and "That is the position the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has taken." It was weeks after that before the Minister, Deputy Coveney, realised that there was not enough fodder in the country and that something urgent needed to be done.

I welcome the belated attempts he has made to deal with this issue. It is a serious issue that has significant consequences for farmers in their daily lives. There are farmers who have been driven literally to desperation, one of whom I know in the Deputy's own county-----

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Which Deputy?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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-----because of the pressure that has been placed on the farmer by his inability to either source or afford feed. The reality is that at last some help has been made available, but much more needs to be done.

There are both short-term and long-term measures the Minister needs to take because, whereas the immediate crisis if the weather holds up for the next few weeks will solve itself, as the Minister will be aware, we already face a challenge because many farmers have not been able to close fields as they would otherwise have done to preserve them for silage making and, therefore, we face a challenge coming into the autumn because farmers are potentially starting with every shed in the country empty and also with many fields that would have been producing early crops of silage being a number of weeks behind. This means we need proper planning on this occasion. This was foreseeable from last summer. When there was a very wet summer, many farmers failed to get the silage out of the fields and it was obvious a long way back that if this was followed by a cold winter stretching into May, it would have a significant effect on the farming community.

Unfortunately, I will not have enough time to make all the points I would like heard tonight and I want to address myself to a number of specific issues that at this stage the Minister could deal with.

The first action I hope the Minister takes tonight is to give a clear commitment that the transport scheme that has been made available by him will continue after 10 May, which is Friday next. I am aware of co-operatives which are already planning beyond Friday next and which know they will have a requirement for fodder beyond that day because in some parts of the country the fodder shortage will go on longer than in others. I ask that he will also undertake here to make whatever financial resources available to deal with the issue and to ensure the transport scheme will be funded as long as it is needed.

I compliment the IFA for its assistance in this issue. I also compliment the flexible way the various co-operatives have worked with the scheme. I particularly thank good friends of mine in Connacht Gold over many years who, once again, teamed up with the local co-operative, CDS Teoranta in Corr na Móna, and have been making feed available because we do not have any dairying in Connemara, a point that seems to have passed the Minister.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It has not passed the Minister.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Thanks to the flexibility of CDS Teoranta and Connacht Gold, we have been able to reach areas which we would not have been able to reach otherwise under the Minister's scheme.

Channelling funding through the district veterinary officers, DVOs, for those who cannot afford feed is not dealing well with the problem. Many farmers are out of money and have no way of buying feed, but they are afraid that if they go to the district veterinary officer and bring in Department officials, they will compound rather than solve their problem. I note the hardship. Like anybody who is dealing with farmers, who is listening to farmers and listening to those dealing directly with farmers-----

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Ó Cuív is not listening to them after that statement.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Maybe Deputy Tom Hayes' farmers are different to mine.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Ó Cuív has the floor.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As I stated, it would have been much better to direct that funding through Teagasc which could have undertaken its assessments but which would not have the same connotations for many farmers as involving the veterinary offices.

I mean no disrespect to the veterinary offices, but as we all know, many people are suspicious about what I describe. Deputy Tom Hayes may shake his head, but we all know the general reaction when departmental officials wander over farms to carry out inspections. I refer, in particular, to the reaction of farmers who, perhaps for financial reasons, might not have been able to keep their stock in perfect order. The approach in this regard could have been better.

It is important for the Minister to issue the AEOS 1, AEOS 2 and REPS payments. In the counter motion the Government boasts about what it is doing. The payments should have been made ages ago. No reference is made to REPS 4 payments. As the Minister knows, there are many to be made. If he does not know, he should because everybody else in agriculture knows that while the REPS 4 payments were cleared in Johnstown Castle, farmers are being told they will have to wait two or three weeks because of some glitch in the payments section in the Department. I do not understand why, in the middle of a crisis, the Department cannot issue the payments. Farmers who ring the Minister's Department are told they will have to hang on for three or four weeks for the REPS 4 payments, even though they have been cleared. It is important that the Minister clarify when the affected farmers will receive their payments. Ultimately, the promise of a payment never paid the bank manager. The only thing the bank manager accepts is the actual payment up-front.

If there is a cold spring next year, it is important that there be a proper plan in place to deal with a crisis. Owing to the very late spring this year and because no feed is held over in sheds, as used to be the practice of many farmers, there is no feed in the country. Any farmer who had feed sold it and made it available. Therefore, we need to ensure this crisis does not recur.

I have two final suggestions. The first is that the Minister reverse the decision on stocking density requirements under the disadvantaged areas scheme this year. Every farmer must use his or her land and, under the rules of cross-compliance, cannot obtain the single farm payment unless it is kept in good agricultural and environmental condition. It is ridiculous to force ever higher stocking densities this year, a year in which every ounce of surplus grass is likely to be needed. It would be very simple for the Minister to address this. It was a purely Irish decision to increase stocking densities. The Minister should return to the previous stocking densities and ensure farmers with certain grazing patterns will not have to buy in stock. It is time we recognised that grass, be it silage or hay, is a crop in itself and that it is as valid a crop for feeding cattle as barley, for example.

My final point is that late every autumn, after payments have started, the Department raises queries about certain farmers' applications. In many cases, these farmers are not paid until much later than the rest of farmers. In many cases, it is the vulnerable who are affected. I refer to those who may be prone to a small error here or there.

I understand the Minister's position. Perhaps he might confirm that there is a limit to what he can do in bringing payments forward because of EU regulations. Many have asked me to ask him to bring forward payments such as the disadvantaged areas scheme payment and the single farm payment, but I understand he cannot legally do so because there is a European regulation that has to be honoured and that the payments can only be made on a certain date. However, under Ireland's Presidency, it is important that the Minister bring forward the date in the autumn as much as possible in view of the circumstances that arise. Since the applications are being made this month, we should use the months of June, July, August and September to check every file. If there are queries about files, they should be raised in this period, not when the farmer expects to receive the payment. When the payment is expected, the farmer rings the Department only to be told it will be writing to him or her the following week about a query about his file. Doing what I propose would be very simple step. It is totally within the gift and capability of the Minister. The suggestions I have made are practical and would make a difference to farmers. No doubt my colleagues will be adding to my suggestions in order that we can ensure that what happened in the spring will not happen again.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am glad to have the opportunity to support our spokesman on agriculture, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív. The fodder crisis has devastated the agriculture industry. At a time when many farmers were planning to expand their dairy, suckler or drystock herds, they found they were hit by a crisis that perhaps did not start three weeks ago but last summer because of the particularly bad weather in that season. Owing to the particularly bad weather, the quality of silage and hay made in the country was poor by comparison with that normally found on farms. This exacerbated the difficulty. There was a long winter and poor quality feed was available for livestock. The condition of livestock was affected because of the poor fodder available. This meant that individual farmers had to feed more concentrates and that the outgoings of farmers, be they dairy farmers involved in liquid milk production or those carrying drystock through the winter, were significantly increased by comparison with previous winters. This has created a very serious financial problem on many farms across the country.

Most agricultural economists believe the industry has potential for development and expansion and that it has the potential to help considerably with the economic recovery of the State. None of us disagrees with this. The industry, by its nature, is capital intensive. It is capital intensive if one is starting with an enterprise, buying land, buying livestock, or developing a farm or farm facilities. In such circumstances, one finds one needs to have a very generous bank manager in one's locality who is prepared to back the individual business plans.

This year we had to import hay from France and fodder from England and other locations. Farmers were particularly glad to have it. We should commend the IFA and the various co-operatives around the country for their initiatives in helping this process.

The reality is that the Minister is faced with a set of circumstances in which individual farmers are in dire financial trouble because of the measures they had to take to acquire fodder. The health of farmers and their families has been affected seriously in many instances because of the stress they have been under throughout an exceptionally long winter. The fertility of breeding stock in the dairy and suckler herds will be seriously affected because of underfeeding and the poor condition of many animals. This will have an impact on the breeding programmes on farms which, in turn, will have implications in the coming year.

I know dairy farmers in County Louth and neighbouring counties in the north east who are getting by because they are grazing silage ground. The Minister knows about agriculture. He knows that a farmer needs to set aside a certain amount of ground on a farm to cut silage to get through the following winter. The domino effect will soon kick in and farmers will not have sufficient silage to get them through next winter. We do not know what type of weather we can expect between now and July, which is the silage and hay-making period. This will add to the difficulty.

A number of things, apart from the financial initiatives, need to be done. A unit to co-ordinate the different agencies and initiatives needs to be set up in the Department. Teagasc has a vital role to play in terms of advising individual farmers about how to tackle the issue of volume and quality of silage in the coming year. What will be the implications under the nitrates directive for individual farmers who have to use more urea or nitrogen to increase the volume of silage? Is the Minister prepared to ask the EU to ensure no penalties are imposed on individual farmers who have had to use additional nitrogen to boost the volume and quantity of their silage this year?

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's time has expired.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I regret I do not have more time. I ask the Minister to respond to the points I have made.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate and compliment my colleague, Deputy Eamon Ó Cuív, on tabling this comprehensive motion. Deputy Ó Cuív has over the past few weeks set out a number of options which he would have liked the Minister to undertake to try to deal with this crisis. The word "crisis" is often over-used in this House and in general discourse. However, I do not think it an exaggeration to say that the current lack of fodder is a crisis. People involved in the knackery business and the statistics in this area indicate that the number of fallen and dead animals this year has surpassed any recorded for the past 30 years. I am not suggesting responsibility for this lies entirely at the Minister's door.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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That is not true. The level is the same as for 2009.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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It was clear last summer, given the level of rainfall and poor quality of forage being collected, that a prolonged winter would result in difficulties. In my view neither the Minister nor his Department put any strategy in place for such an eventuality. The skill set in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for dealing with crises is quite high. It has dealt with BSE, foot and mouth disease and the illegal importation of cattle. The special investigation unit has also been established. It is clear there is a skill set in that Department to deal with crises, forward planning and strategising. To the best of my knowledge, virtually nothing was done in this regard.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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To the best of the Deputy's knowledge.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has been asleep.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I accept that the weather changed and that we have had a prolonged period of cold weather, as a result of which there was no growth, and cattle were not out on the pastures, as they normally would be at this time of year. The snowfall is not the Minister's fault but, coming from a background of and understanding farming, and taking account of the poor level of harvest last year, he should have recognised the need to put a plan in place.

The Minister belatedly put in place a scheme for transportation of fodder, which was welcome but not good enough. The IFA deserves to be complimented-----

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy was not calling for it.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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-----on what it is doing in consultation with Kepak, SuperValu and others. I understand approximately 3,000 tonnes of hay is on the way from France. That is good. In my view, the scheme introduced by the Department needs to be extended to cover cattle marts, other co-ops and private merchants. Why is it limited to a particular number of co-ops?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is not.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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In my opinion, it is.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy does not know what he is talking about.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I have spoken to people in the marts who have told me they are not included in the scheme. Perhaps the Minister will clarify the situation.

My colleague raised the issue of stocking density in disadvantaged areas, which is an issue with which I am familiar. People are being forced to keep a Connemara pony or donkey in order to reach targets. The Department should encourage them to save some fodder which they can sell rather than penalise them at the back end for not having had the stocking density over the required period. This would go some way towards recognising that there will be difficulties next year. The Minister knows that meadows that should be closed now are not closed and that cattle will need to be put out when first growth emerges. There will be no extra supply of fodder at the back end of this year.

I ask that the Minister, unlike last year, begin the necessary process now, recognising that there is a potential for a crisis. It is akin to the Minister for Transport, when Fianna Fáil was in power, being blamed for a lack of salt during a prolonged period of bad weather. That was not repeated the following year.

Tom Barry (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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What about the former Minister for Agriculture and Food who did away with the sugar industry?

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Barry has a few more things to answer for. I appeal to the Minister, working on the basis that there was a crisis this year and recognising that there will be a shortage next year, to put a strategic group in place to develop a plan to deal with next year's potential crisis. He will then be able to come back to this House and admit he learned something after the horse had bolted or, in this instance, the cow died.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It is widely known that agriculture plays a major role in the Irish economy.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Belatedly.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It is widely known that it has played and will play a major role in helping our economy get out of its current difficulties. It is also widely known that the European budget announced yesterday will greatly affect the Irish economy. Listening to the Taoiseach this morning, I concluded that this would perhaps be a negative effect. It is also known that Irish agriculture has come out of that process poorly.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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That is not true.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The 10% reduction in the budget will have an impact on Irish agriculture. It is a hit Irish agriculture can ill afford.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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That speech was written last year.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It was not. It is a beating for Irish agriculture that the Government has accepted, a beating not strongly fought against by the Government. Its ultimate effect now depends on the conclusion of CAP reform. Will that CAP reform amount to a cut in single farm payments for all, or will opportunities be taken to ensure that input towards the 2020 targets can be more inclusive of all farm enterprises, big and small? That responsibility passes to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and will be carefully monitored. We hope and expect a better defence than that given by the Minister's superiors in relation to the overall budget for Europe.

Some weeks ago Deputy Martin raised with the Taoiseach the lack of a cohesive, inclusive and concerted effort by Government to establish a special departmental unit to co-ordinate stakeholders, financial institutions and agencies in response to the crisis. He also asked that a fund be put in place and that financial credit supplies be reviewed. The Taoiseach's response amounted to "Phone a friend". We do not need to repeat the advances that have been made in this country by the agricultural sector over the past number of years, leaving us with a sector which we are all proud to acknowledge is a world leader in many facets of its field.

The Government's resolve in the area of agriculture has been tested twice recently. It can be argued that it failed in the European budget and failed to respond adequately to this crisis over the past number of weeks. The Minister will be aware that farmers have been phoning friends, financial institutions and suppliers but have not been able to avail to any great extent of what was promised. Having raised this issue six to eight weeks ago, Deputy Ó Cuív was forced to table this Private Members' motion to call again on the Government, in the interests of proper planning, to act not only in the interests of the economy at large but obviously in the interests of the agricultural sector and those farmers whose livelihoods have been decimated in recent months and weeks as a result of the lack of planning, despite Government knowing full well about the poor harvest achieved last year owing to the weather and lack of production of hay, silage and so forth. The problem was greatly increased by the continuation of the cold weather into April.

I ask the Minister not to ignore the motion, to adhere to facets of it that can improve matters into the future and no doubt leave him in a position where by next year he will not be allowed to repeat the mistakes already witnessed by us all in this House.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I support the motion put forward by Deputy Ó Cuív. The tabling of it emphasises the need for the Government to tackle the ongoing fodder crisis.

As many Deputies on this side of the House have said, this crisis was ignored by the Department when it began in 2012. It is now inflicting grievous damage on livestock. There is an urgent need for co-operation between Government agencies, financial institutions and suppliers to help struggling farmers. There is a certain amount of co-operation, but in the current circumstances, it does not go far enough. The Minister made available some moneys for transport, which was a good initiative, but many farm organisations and farmer groups have told me that the €1 million made available by the Minister is nowhere near adequate to meet farmers' needs.

I never thought I would see the day there would be there would be a fodder crisis in parts of Wexford. Farmers have contacted me, as I am sure they have contacted Deputies Kehoe and Twomey and the other Oireachtas Members in the county, to point out the situation in parts of County Wexford. I heard a good news story in recent days of Wexford farmers selling bales of silage to farmers in Galway for €15, bearing in mind it costs €20 to produce them. There is an air of generosity among farmers in our area. That is good because it is important that farmers who have fodder would help out farmers in the west and other parts of the country.

The agrifood sector is an important one. The plan for the sector is to increase production massively between now and 2020, which was introduced by the previous Government has been taken on board by the current Government. We are aware of the importance of the cattle industry and the meat plants, a number of which are located in my county, of which the Minister will be aware. Those engaged in the management of them are concerned that because of the scarcity of cattle and lack of breeding, as pointed out by Deputy Kirk, and because some farmers are threatening to get out of the cattle industry, there may not be adequate product to meet their needs for the future. It is important the 300,000 jobs in this area would not be affected by a lack of decisions by the Department.

I was a Minister of State in the Department for a few years. The officials in the Minister's Department adopt a very conservative attitude when it comes to giving out money. They always advise the Minister to spend as little as possible. It is important he would be his own man in the Department and would do what needs to be done to help farmers at this time. He would have to accept that the amount of money he put forward to date will not meet the needs of the farming community. The IFA and other agriculture bodies have made more moneys available than the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It is good that those bodies are making money available as well. At a time of crisis, the Department cannot carry the full can and it is important that such bodies would contribute. The Minister must increase the funding and the involvement of bodies across the board to ensure a similar situation does not arise again.

I understand that SuperValu has come on board but what about Tesco, Dunnes Stores and the other supermarkets that avail of high quality Irish products from the farming community? They should also come on board in terms of making a contribution. If farmers are not in a position to produce because of the lack of fodder, we will not have many high quality Irish products, which are essential, on the supermarket shelves. Fair play to SuperValu, but many of the other supermarkets should follow suit.

A number of farmers, particularly those living in disadvantaged areas, have asked me if the Minister would bring forward some of the payments that he can bring forward. I accept that some cannot be brought forward, but farmers in disadvantaged areas in particular are suffering severely, and it is important, if possible, for the Minister to make advanced payments as quickly as possible.

On the matter of funding from the banks, I know the Minister has met the banks and they have made promises but usually they make many promises they do not keep. They need to loosen up in terms of access to funds but, more importantly, they need to fast-track decision making. I know of many farmers with a good credit record who have applied for loans in the current circumstances and it has taken a month to six weeks for the banks to make decisions on their applications. Farmers need the money from the banks as quickly as possible. I ask the Minister to contact the banks again and ask them to fast-track loan applications from farmers. Some farmers will be refused a loan because of their credit rating or for some other reason, but farmers who have a good credit rating need to have a decision made on their loan applications as quickly as possible.

Another issue that concerns many farmers is that we did not react when this happened in 2012, and it has happened again in 2013. What management plan will the Minister put in place to ensure this crisis does not happen again? The loss of grass growth during recent months will create major problems in 2014. I do not like to be a doomsday person but I think we will have a similar or perhaps a bigger problem in 2014. There is considerable expertise in the Department, in Johnstown Castle and in Teagasc, and surely with the combination of that expertise working with the farm organisations, the merchants and the co-operatives, the Minister can put in place a system that will ensure adequate fodder will be available in 2014. The necessary arrangements need to be made and if the fodder has to be brought in from abroad, so be it, but there should not be a fire-brigade approach to addressing the issue, as happened this year. The fodder that is being brought in is welcome, but future provision of it should be well planned. I hope the Minister is doing that in the Department and that his officials are working not alone on the current situation, which must be dealt with as a priority, but on the situation down the road and how he will deal with problems that may arise in late 2013 early 2014.

Farming community groups have taken action to help farmers grapple with the crisis. The IFA has created a €1 million fund, the Irish Dairy Board has established a €2 million fund for redistribution to dairy farmers, and the co-operatives have taken a lead in sourcing supplies through co-operatives. It is important that the lead given by the farm organisations and the co-operatives would be reciprocated by the Minister and by his Department. The amount of money that the Minister has made available is nowhere near adequate to meet the needs of farmers. I estimate that it needs to be increased tenfold between now and later this year to ensure there is adequate funding available to meet the problems that may arise later in the year.

Farming is an important industry and it is important to the economic future of the country. We all accept that the one area where there has been growth and that has helped to develop the economy during the past 18 months is the farming sector. It would be a disaster if we were to have a lower level of production, less product for meat plants, less products for supermarkets and less products in our country at a time when there are opportunities for farmers in the European and world markets. We must help farmers through this crisis to ensure that they increase, expand and develop for the future, but they will only do that if they get further help and support from the Government.

There are not many disadvantaged areas in Wexford but there are large disadvantaged areas across the country.

They need help and prioritisation now. If the Minister can make funds available he should do so without any further delay.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"acknowledges the very difficult situation which has been facing farmers in light of the fodder shortage caused by unseasonal weather and the resulting delay of grass growth;

notes the fact that efforts have been on-going since last September to alleviate the fodder situation after a poor summer, through Teagasc, the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Emergency Animal Welfare System and the fact that the delayed spring has unfortunately elevated this issue to a more serious level in recent weeks;

recognises the on-going financial assistance and advice being provided to farmers through the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council's early warning system and helpline, which has dealt with approximately 550 calls to date;

notes the introduction of a €1 million Government transport subsidy scheme, which has to date resulted in approximately 600 loads of fodder being imported into the country;

acknowledges that the Government extended this scheme until the 10th of May in consideration of continuing challenges facing farmers;

recognises the significant efforts made by co-ops to source and import fodder, to reduce costs to farmers by providing credit flexibility and interest free credit for fertiliser;

acknowledges the additional initiatives introduced by the farming organisations, the Irish Dairy Board and other organisations to assist farmers in recent days;

notes that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and his Department have met and been in regular contact with the banks, co-ops and others in the industry to identify any particular problem areas or difficulties facing farmers as the fodder situation continues;

notes the role being played by the advisory services to date and their on-going advice to farmers in dealing with the provision of adequate fodder stocks for the winter ahead; and

recognises that outstanding farm payments are being processed as quickly as possible to assist farmers in financial difficulty; following the issue of approximately 1,500 Agri-Environmental Options Scheme (AEOS) payments over the last 10 days, close to a further 600 AEOS payments valued at just over €1.3 million are expected to issue within the next week."

There is a total misunderstanding about the level of engagement that has been taking place between my Department, agencies linked to my Department, farming organisations and farmers themselves about the very difficult winter followed by a difficult summer which has become a fodder shortage crisis and which we are managing on that basis. We have been engaging since virtually this time last year with farmers and farming organisations as we had a very difficult summer that was incredibly wet, making it difficult to save hay and silage and that resulted in lower volumes of silage of poorer quality than normal. We knew that and we have been trying to manage that situation throughout the winter. Teagasc advice has focused on that. If the Deputies opposite spoke to farmers on the ground, as I do regularly, they would hear that they have been working through, with their advisers, how to get the best out of their fodder and how to add to that, having to pay much more for increased quantities of meal and so on but also how to get the most out of that roughage and protein mix to ensure that they would extend the limited volumes of fodder they had in storage and to maximise its use. That has been taking place throughout the winter.

The Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council has also worked through the winter with farming organisations such as the Irish Farmers Association and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association on a county-by-county basis, working with veterinary surgeons to establish the extent of the problem and focus supports as they are needed on a confidential basis with farmers to ensure that people get assistance when they need it. That has been going on. If the Deputies did not know that it was happening they should have. In recent weeks we have been engaged in crisis management. Everybody, including farming organisations and everybody else, expected that we would have some normalisation of weather patterns this spring. That has not happened. Normally grazing would start towards the end of March but that did not happen. The month of March was one of the wettest on record and it was followed by one of the wettest and coldest Aprils on record. We saw fodder running out and we examined how to assist farmers. Instead of just announcing some form of fodder fund for farmers, for which the Opposition Deputies asked, with no detail as to how that might work, who might apply for it and who would be eligible for it we focused public money where it would alleviate the real problems, which is primarily a fodder access problem. That is why we focused public money on subsidising the transport costs to bring feed into Ireland in very large volumes. That has had two results, it has incentivised co-ops to bring in large volumes of feed because we are paying for it and it has made that feed available to farmers when they desperately need it at prices that they can afford, normal prices for hay and haylage and for maize in the case of Glanbia.

Instead of putting together a fund for farmers for which they would have to apply and for which we would have to go through a long assessment procedure and that would probably not result in payments until July or August because of that process, we put together in 48 hours a scheme that could get money to farmers directly to cover the cost of importing fodder which is badly needed. Yes, this has been a crisis and there are farmers who are highly stressed, concerned and worried about where the next bale of hay will come from for their animals. I have said many times that for many farmers not being able to feed their animals is almost as stressful as not being able to feed their children because of their attachment to, and the time they spend with, their herds. We are working not only through dairy co-ops but through other agencies to get fodder into Ireland in very large quantities and it is working. So far we have brought in 730 loads of hay and maize. That is the equivalent of providing feed for 2.2 million animals in terms of days of feed. There will be another 170 loads before the end of this week and more significant volume next week. For the first time ever Ireland is importing large volumes of fodder and grass because of extraordinary weather patterns last summer, a long winter and delayed spring. This is not just a political response, it is a collective response from the industry, farming organisations, co-ops and neighbours to ensure that farmers who desperately need to access fodder are getting it, by and large. If they are really struggling to get it there is a helpline available and we have a system to get fodder to them quickly. That is also working. There is no ceiling on the funds we will spend on that to ensure that animals are fed. There is no reason why animals should starve regardless of credit problems or problems of access to fodder. I encourage farmers to use that helpline. That is what it is for.

I recognise the role of dairy co-ops and other co-ops and marts working through those co-ops to get fodder out to people as quickly as they can. They have done an extraordinary job. In a very short space of time they have used their logistical expertise to try to solve a short-term crisis problem to get animals fed while waiting for grass growth which has begun. This will be another very wet week which will pose problems, particularly for pockets of the country that are very vulnerable. West Limerick, north Kerry and along the west coast could be badly affected by the banks of rain coming in over the next few days.

I will clarify for the Deputies opposite what we are doing about this fodder scheme. Last week we decided to extend it for an extra week. We are setting deadlines because I want to incentivise the import of large volumes of hay over a short period. I do not want a drip feed through the summer weeks and months as it is needed. Instead, we want a large volume over a short period to kill off this fodder shortage problem early in the summer so that farmers can concentrate on working with their advisers, whether private or Teagasc advisers, or with each other, to manage grazing patterns to try to get cuts of silage in place as well as efficient grazing management to return to some kind of normal grazing season and farmers can benefit from the current strong prices for beef, dairy and other products.

So far we have received 500 or more calls for the emergency animal welfare assistance. A little over 100 of those have been genuine crisis and emergency situations and we have intervened. I am frustrated to hear Deputy Ó Cuív say that we should not do this through district veterinary offices. I challenge him to talk to any one of those 100 farmers who have received assistance from my Department in the past few weeks. It has been sensitive, discreet, confidential and professional. Animals have been fed and there is no consequence for farmers of any kind in the way of inspections or anything else.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I was talking about the perception.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There should be no perception that by telephoning that animal welfare helpline farmers should have anything to fear. They should not. This is a pragmatic response of getting feed to animals that need it, that might otherwise starve. It is working. There is no ceiling on that fund. As it is needed throughout the summer and if it is needed next winter it will still be there.

As regards credit, a fairly regular occurrence in this House is to criticise the banks and the banking system, which is understandable. However, I have spent some time on this matter with the key banks, Ulster Bank, AIB, Bank of Ireland and Rabo, which all maintain to me that they have significant credit available for farmers and want farmers to talk to them about it. However, as I have said repeatedly, if farmers go to their banks about issues relating to this fodder crisis but do not get the response they need, then I need to hear about it. I will then aggressively challenge the banks on this because I have got strong commitments that there are teams of bank staff in place who want to help farmers bridge credit problems between now and the autumn by putting short-term loan facilities in place or increasing overdraft facilities. If one checks Bank of Ireland’s books, one will see 65% of farmers have still not maxed out their overdraft facilities. I encourage farmers to challenge the banking system and use it. If it is not working, my Department wants to hear about it.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, but the banks are slow in making decisions.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am being told they are not on fodder. It might not be the same in the case of other loan facilities for, say, machinery or land. I am told access to credit for fodder is being made available. If it is not, I need to hear about it to follow it up and I will then give the Deputy the answer to that.

The co-ops are making significant credit available. Glanbia, for example, has made an extra €15 million available to their farmers while Dairygold, Connacht Gold, Lakeland, Kerry and others have similar arrangements in place. It is in their interest that farmers feed their animals and spend money on getting fertiliser out to be used this month.

Farm inspections are a sensitive issue for farmers and farming organisations. We have spoken to our inspectors and they are being much more cautious and sensitive in how they treat farmers at the moment. It is recognised people are under stress but we cannot simply stop inspections. That is not a practical or sensible suggestion because it will have knock-on consequences for disallowances and European auditing.

In the past two weeks, we have made payments to over 1,500 farmers in the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS. Many of them have been difficult cases that have been delayed for reasons that needed time to sort out. We will be making another 600 payments in the next week. This all amounts to €3 million in AEOS payments in less than three weeks. Payments have been fast-tracked.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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What about REPS 4 payments? Will the Minister come back to me on this?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We are trying to fast-track all payments that are due.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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What about REPS 4 payments? There seems to be a hold-up in REPS payments in the Department. I have had many farmers on to me about this over the weekend.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I will look into it. Payments, however, will only be delayed if there is a good reason to do so.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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What about the issues I raised concerning breeding stock fertility levels and the implications for the nitrates directive?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are serious management challenges with the management of last winter and the management of the current crisis. We now must manage to ensure we minimise the likelihood of this happening again. We are addressing issues concerning medium-term planning through the farming organisations and Teagasc, as well as getting support from the co-ops. Many of the co-ops are making interest-free funds available to farmers to buy fertiliser for May and they may extend these beyond should it be necessary. The accusation that we need to set up a task force in the middle of this while we are managing it effectively, given the challenges that exist, is nonsense. There is essentially a task force already in place in my Department which works across the Department and the agencies involved.

We are doing everything we can to intervene where there are extreme situations. I encourage farmers to use the freefone number, 1850-211990. We are continuing to import and subsidise fodder. We will not extend the date beyond this Friday. Instead, any fodder importer, mainly the co-ops, which has proof of purchase of fodder before this Friday can continue to bring it into the country into next week and the week after. I want to keep the pressure on to get as much fodder purchased and imported into Ireland as quickly as possible so as not have a drip-feed management through the summer. We have been in consultation on this with the co-ops and the farming organisations which understand this point about keeping the pressure on getting as much fodder purchased and brought into Ireland as quickly as possible. This is the reasoning behind keeping deadlines intact.

Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion. The crisis that hit our agricultural sector was extremely difficult for many farmers. It was clear that certain areas were particularly badly hit including parts of west Cork, north Cork, west Limerick, north Kerry and other counties. Equally, other areas were better insulated and did not feel the effects of the shortage until later on in the crisis. It is also evident some farmers were more vulnerable than others, whether it was because they were overstocked or would always have had tight fodder supply and simply could not weather this storm. This has led to some farmers experiencing some great distress and anxiety. I can think of nothing more depressing for a genuine farmer than watching helplessly as his animals suffer.

Understanding and communicating effectively is still a significant element of the Government’s response. Farmers who need help will continue to receive assistance. The Department will continue its early warning system where emergency assistance is provided to farmers whose animals are experiencing serious welfare issues and where the farmer is unable to cope. Those that need it most will be helped. I encourage these farmers to contact the helpline at 1850-211990.

The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has been involved in trying to manage a very difficult situation for many months. This situation did not just arise in the past several weeks. Last year's poor summer with high levels of rainfall and a lack of sunshine resulted in poor and smaller quantities of silage. The onset of winter came early, which meant that grass growth ceased earlier than normal. In addition, it was extremely wet and farmers were obliged to bring their animals indoors. Some had to keep their animals indoors during the summer and the autumn. The Minister engaged with farmers, in conjunction with Teagasc, through the winter months to extend and maximise the potential of their fodder. Regrettably, the winter lasted six weeks longer than normal. As a result, grass growth is five weeks behind the level at which it should be at this time of year. This has resulted in a real and measurable fodder shortage with which the Minister is dealing.

We have seen fodder arrive from France and the UK in the affected areas of the south and the west over the past few weeks in a targeted response with the cost of the transport covered by the emergency reserve fund. I welcome the collective response by all those people and organisations involved in the agricultural sector such as the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, ICSA, as well as the co-ops, including Drinagh Co-operative, and food companies such as Glanbia and Dairygold, all co-ordinated by the Minister.

The Minister has led from the front all the way through this crisis like he has done with the other issues that he has had to deal with since taking office just over two years ago such as the horsemeat crisis, reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy and the European Presidency to mention a few.

Recent warmer weather has alleviated the difficulties a little for now but the Minister and his Department are now focusing on the longer term effects of the prolonged inclement weather. I would call for greater flexibility in the rules to allow increased and appropriate uses of fertiliser to, for example, reverse the decline in the phosphates level in the soil, incentivising or encouraging greater cultivation of fodder crops and continuing engagement with the co-ops and financial institutions to deal with the inevitable cash flow difficulties that will surface later this year.

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on his response to this issue.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am delighted to contribute to this debate. I commend the Minister on the progress he has made in dealing with this crisis. For me, it is about practical measures.

In some cases individual farmers are under great strain, but it is working. The measure with the co-operatives was practical and quick. Farmers are working with it and are happy with its effectiveness. There has been growth in recent days and it is hoped it will sustain farmers. The two key features are ensuring farmers have proper yields from their silage cuts and that they are able to put proper measures in place for grazing.

The Minister has said he is managing the crisis on a day-to-day basis and referred to future measures. He has also said he will put in place contingency plans to address what will happen in the coming months. Obviously, they will include the co-operatives, with which I am aware the Minister is continuing to have discussions, Teagasc, the banks and the farmers' organisations. As a Deputy in Limerick, I know that agriculture contributes enormously in terms of jobs to the rural economy and that it is extremely important that we support it, but what has been done to date by the Minister is yielding huge results. The approach he took in respect of the co-operatives and purchasing of fodder was inventive and practical and it has worked. The key feature is to have proper contingency plans in place in the coming months to deal with all eventualities.

Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. This is, without doubt, a very serious problem, but some of the Deputies opposite appear to blame the Minister for not being able to control the weather, such is the predicament in which we find ourselves. We faced into a spring the likes of which we had never seen previously. A Deputy on the opposite side of the House said he had never seen anything like it; therefore, how were we supposed to predict we would have a winter lasting almost eight months is beyond me.

We have two options in dealing with the crisis. We can be strategic in the way the Minister has gone about it and try to take a hands-on approach or announce a fund of €5 million, €8 million or €10 million. That sounds good and it would make for a very good press release, but there is no explanation of the source of the money. In these tough times when the money woul have to come from another budget in six months time, there would be a shortfall somewhere else. We can do what the Minister has been doing and take a strategic approach to it. We can work on the ground, talk to farmers, work with organisations and get across what can and cannot be done to address the issue. That is what the Minister has done and he has been complimented on it.

It has been said we will face a fodder problem at the back end of the year. In most parts of the country we are already four or six weeks behind and it is important that we now look to see how we can fix it. Many on this side of the House have raised the issue with the Minister and I know he is doing everything he can to get farm payments out to farmers as soon as possible. Many agri-environment option scheme payments have been made. I have concerns, as I am sure does Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, about individual farmers, but we are not here to discuss individual farmers. We have to work through all cases, but it is easy to raise the one case when hundreds of euro have been paid out. We must keep working on the basis that we will get a payment out to everyone as quickly as we can possibly do so.

This is a crisis. There are many farmers in tough circumstances, but I compliment the Minister on tackling on this issue in a strategic way. From what I have heard in the debate, it appears his only failings are that he cannot control or predict the weather.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. Recent months have been tough for farmers or anybody involved in the agriculture industry. The Minister, the co-operatives and everybody associated with it have been complimented, but what struck me was the generosity of ordinary farmers up and down the country to their neighbours. They helped each other out when they had surplus food and silage. That should be highlighted, as well as the hard work done by the Department and the Minister.

We are where we are, but the position has changed a great deal in the past week. While there will be more difficult weather conditions in certain areas, as the Minister has pointed out, the good weather enjoyed in recent days has had a huge impact. Where I come from in County Tipperary the grass is growing. As I travelled from Tipperary to Dublin today on every farm there were cattle out, even though the grass is short, but it is growing.

The issue is to plan, as Teagasc has urged in its latest article, for availability of fodder next winter because that is the real difficulty we are facing. Silage ground throughout the country has been grazed, but the reality is that we must use a lot more fertilizer in the coming weeks. In that regard, the Minister has been to the forefront in meeting the banks. That is where the difficulty lies, as people owe substantial amounts of money for meal following the winter. Nobody has denied this, but that is what people did. Farmers are resilient. They care for their animals and as a result have run up big bills. They now need fertilizer to plan for next winter and it is on that issue we must focus. I am not always happy with banks, but they need to be monitored on a regular basis in the coming months to make sure those who are in financial difficulty because of the extreme winter conditions are helped. I say "well done" to everybody involved in dealing with this tough crisis which did not cost the taxpayer billions of euro.

Regarding some of the contributions made by Deputies on the opposite side of the House, they would like to see the bad weather continue for another few weeks because then the motion would be relevant. It is not relevant tonight because things are changing. We should be fair about it. The problem is difficult to manage, but the reality is that it is being managed well in tough circumstances.

Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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I agree with what some Deputies said about the way farming families have pulled together to try to solve the problem. Deputy John Browne said some farmers in County Wexford were sending bales of silage to Galway for €15. As we never gave them a hiding in hurling, they might send something in our direction in County Kerry.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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That is a good angle.

Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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There is a crisis and it is predominantly felt along the west coast. I travelled to Dublin by train this morning and the fields are black instead of green because there is nothing growing in them. Farmers have been perturbed mentally by what is happening. They are in dire straits financially, but as one of the Deputies representing the western region pointed out, this is a factor due to the weather, it is not political. The issue was raised by Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív on 28 March and I believe it was the Tánaiste who replied to him. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, has dealt with the issue adequately and I particularly like his current strategy. Rather than pouring money at the problem which would have been the solution of those who went before us, he has decided to front-load the solution by including as much stock as possible to ensure a problem will not arise next year, if we do not have good quality grass available.

In an article in the Irish Independent on 19 February a veterinarian surgeon, Mr. Donal Murphy, from Rathmore stated we would have problems owing to the poor quality of grass. He said the fat content of animals was down and that we were looking at a higher incidence of liver fluke in calves as a result of the poor quality grass production. He also said silage quality in the following year would possibly be decreased owing to the level of rainfall. At that stage people were paying between €25 and €30 for a round bale and anybody who does basic mathematics will tell us that if one has a decent sized farm and we are heading toward the middle of May and one still has animals indoors, one has a huge problem.

The banks have been helpful. They are trying to lend money to the agricultural sector. I often use the acronym TEAM - team, energy, agri-business and microenterprise - which will help us greatly to move forward and resolve the issue. The co-operatives have decided to grasp the nettle. They are giving credit to farmers. They are sourcing silage, hay and maize silage from France and England. It is appropriate that we give them a one week window, but if we have to learn a lesson from this crisis it is that, in terms of Food Harvest 2020, we need to have a reserve in place.

It is not a question of having to send a text to the Minister every time one throws a round bale into the slatted unit. It is more about the fact that managing stock and stock density is increasingly important. If we are trading commodities - grass is a commodity - it may be worth looking at the possibility of striking a deal with the British and French so that if we hit a crisis again next year, we will have an agreed price and can purchase at that price. An option is what we are looking for. Overall, the Minister is doing the right thing and the country will be better off for it.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the motion and concur with its main proposals. I also propose that other measures be put in place, both to address the current crisis and to address any possible recurrence. That can not be ruled out given the weather conditions we have experienced over the past two years and the possibility of further bad weather later this year.

No one expects the Department, any more than farmers themselves, to be clairvoyants when it comes to predicting future weather patterns. However, the likelihood of severe conditions, even in late spring and summer, must be planned for, given what we have seen over the past few years. No other sector of the economy, apart perhaps from the fishing sector, is as much at the mercy of the weather as the farming sector. While we are experiencing a change in the weather currently, which will, hopefully, ensure the crisis will not get any worse, we are still a long way from seeing an end to it. Many farmers are still struggling to cope with the demands placed on them and the financial implications will carry on into the future, with potentially severe implications for many farm households.

One of the most worrying factors of this crisis is that farmers will be short at least one cut of silage this year. I have travelled the country and have seen very little silage cut so far. If farmers get two cuts between now and September, they will be doing well. I am concerned, therefore, that farmers will face the same crisis next year because of the lack of the extra cut of silage this year.

The financial implication of the crisis for farmers has not been helped by the attitude of the financial institutions. Some of the institutions are expressing little gratitude for the fact that the ordinary people of this State have saved them, at the expense of an austerity programme which has hit a huge number of people, including the majority of small to medium farm families. Deputy McLellan has informed me that a farmer who came to her office had applied for a loan of €5,000 to get him over the crisis. However, he was only given one month to repay the loan. That is disgraceful behaviour from institutions the people have bailed out. It is disgraceful they act like this towards people who are so dependent on them to provide loans so as to provide fodder for their animals.

The reluctance and refusal of banks to extend lines of credit has prevented many farmers from addressing the shortage of feedstuffs. The same applies to co-ops, which for the greater part ignored the appeal of the Minister to extend credit to farmers in urgent need of supplies. This indicates a lack of responsibility to the sector as a whole and a lack of responsiveness to the opinions of the wider community upon which they depend. This does not apply to all co-ops and some have been extremely helpful to farmers in need of fodder and have extended credit lines. When the Minister addressed the joint committee last Thursday week, I was of the impression there would be a three-month payment freeze on co-op credit, but that does not appear to be the case. A small minority of co-ops have attempted to take advantage of the crisis by charging increased prices. In general, however, most commercial enterprises within the sector have behaved responsibly.

Farmers have been massively impacted by the fodder shortage and it has placed enormous pressure on many of them due to the financial burden and the perceived threat to many family farms. That aspect of the crisis will be harder to deal with than the immediate problem of accessing feedstuffs. Watching animals starve to death, as many have done, is an extremely traumatic experience, apart altogether from the impact that has on farm businesses. In some parts of the country, collections of dead animals have increased by up to 40%, and the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine has confirmed that deaths of cattle aged 48 months and over were up by 60% between January and February of this year compared with January and February of 2012.

Apart from the pressure of maintaining farm operations, the crisis has placed considerable personal pressure on farmers and their families. One of the saddest aspects of the crisis has been the increase in farmers who have considered taking their own lives. In my county, the farm and rural stress line operated by Console in Tralee has reported a significant increase in the number of farmers contacting it in regard to personal pressures. Some of those farmers impacted by the fodder crisis were obviously under such extreme pressure, they could see no way out of the situation. Many of those farmers are single and live in isolated rural areas. The pressure of loneliness and isolation added to the pressure of trying to feed animals has driven some of them almost over the limit.

The crisis has, however, brought out some of the better aspects of rural communities, which have generally been supportive of their neighbours who have been worst affected. I commend the farming organisations which acted swiftly to bring in feed for their members. Communities from all areas of the country have offered support. Some north of the Border have brought foodstuffs to farmers in trouble, as they did a number of years ago when there was a crisis west of the Shannon. The solidarity within rural communities and farm workers is great, but there are also people who exploited the situation.

On the other hand, there is a feeling the Department's response has been inadequate. Although the Minister's announcement in regard to imports, which he claimed reduced costs by approximately one third, was welcomed, some would feel more could be done. The ICMSA suggested the Government might apply to the EU solidarity fund for emergency funding to address the crisis. Given that the crisis is estimated to be the worst to impact on Irish farming in half a century, surely there would be a good case and this would not impact on the domestic budget, if that is a chief consideration. I look forward to the Minister's response to that.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We have looked at that. I spoke to the Commissioner, but it is unlikely we will be able to draw on it.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the fact the Minister has tried it. There are a number of precedents for the use of the EU solidarity fund aid, which has been used on 20 occasions to aid farmers. These included two occasions in 2002 when farmers in Austria were assisted in the midst of a food crisis similar to that being experienced by Irish farmers currently. I echo the call to extend the transport subsidy scheme in order that it can take in commercial imports that could pass on savings to farmers. This would take some of the pressure of farmers affected, by reducing the costs of imports and transport.

While current weather conditions appear to promise the situation will not get worse, there is a need to ensure measures are in place to prevent a repeat situation in the autumn. The current crisis could have been anticipated on the basis of bad weather in previous years. While no-one can predict what conditions will be like later this year, the possibility of another exceptionally wet summer must be considered and contingency plans must be put in place.

In most instances, those involved in the political sector here have behaved responsibly during the crisis and have given leadership in their areas. We should learn from the experience of this year and the lack of a structure so as to be better able to deal with any future crisis. I have serious concerns about next year, more so than now. There has been great growth in the past week. I have been out around the farming community all this weekend and have seen people put their cattle out, albeit they will be cutting their first crop of silage. This will take the pressure off this year, but next year could be a serious situation, because farmers are already down one crop of silage for the year. We must learn from the failings now and put provisions in place. Nobody can predict future weather conditions. The seven weeks of easterly winds we had this year did enormous damage to the grass crop and put a lot of pressure on farmers. Many of them spread fertilizer, but it did not work because of the weather conditions.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I was not quite sure what to say in this debate because I believe the Minister does a good job. He is the best Minister in the Cabinet.

Those who proposed this motion would probably not have done as much as the Minister has done during this crisis. That is conjecture. I would like to refer briefly to this year before focusing on the lessons we might learn from this experience. We need to apply those lessons so we do not have the same problems next year.

Perhaps the Government should have foreseen the fodder crisis that the agricultural community is experiencing. According to Met Éireann, last year we had one of the wettest summers on record. This was compounded by poor weather in the spring of this year. Many farmers recognised towards the latter part of last year that this crisis was imminent. Tillage yields were significantly down because many farmers and agricultural contractors could not get into the fields to harvest their crops due to the wet surface conditions. There was little farmers could do at that stage other than ration what fodder they had and hope the Government intervened to help. It is disappointing that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine did not see this crisis coming as quickly as many farmers did.

The fodder crisis has had a real and terrifying effect on rural communities. I am sure many rural Deputies have heard the tragic stories of suicide that have spiked on farms across Ireland since the beginning of the fodder crisis. I understand it is so bad that officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have received training from groups like Pieta House on how to identify the signs of the risk of suicide. I welcome this initiative.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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On a point of information, can I clarify what the Deputy has said? The briefing in question happened many months ago. As there has been a misunderstanding about this issue, I want to clarify that no mental health or suicide awareness training has been organised in response to this crisis.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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It was just a general briefing.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I accept that farmers have been facing a great deal of stress.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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The move to arrange the briefing mentioned by the Minister was a positive one, particularly given the circumstances that have arisen recently. Many farmers are feeling the strain and stress of listening to their animals bellowing with hunger but having neither the fodder nor the money to tackle the situation. This is wreaking havoc on the financial and mental well-being of farmers. It is important for the Government to take all measures open to it to alleviate the suffering of farmers. It needs to co-ordinate with the marts, the co-ops and, in particular, the financial institutions to ensure farmers have access to fodder and credit. We need to ensure they do not suffer in the long term as a result of the fodder crisis.

It is important for the Minister to make allowances in this year's stocking rates for farmers. It is clear that land used for agriculture is not yet able to handle heavy stocking levels this year. The Minister must be aware that farmers may not be able to reach the minimum stocking density that is required for receiving payments under schemes such as the agri-environment options scheme. If the Minister does not significantly reduce the minimum stocking density and the retention period, the land will not have time to recover for next year. In such circumstances, it is inevitable that farmers and their animals will face the same crisis in 2014 that they face at present.

Apart from the humanitarian aspect of this issue, it is ultimately important to remember the essential role agriculture plays in the Irish economy. The agri-food sector contributes a valuable €24 billion to the national economy, generates 6.3% of gross value added, accounts for almost 10% of Ireland's exports and provides 7.7% of national employment. Irish agriculture plays an invaluable role in food security, not just domestically but across the EU and further afield. This industry must be protected. The Government has to take action to ensure the fodder crisis does not have a knock-on effect on the Irish economy this year or next year. The industry is simply too valuable to be allowed to fail.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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I would like to share time with Deputy Tom Fleming.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this evening's debate. It is important to note that a great deal of fodder is coming into the country at present. The problems in some parts of the country are starting to ease as growth seems to be happening and grass appears to be growing. Growth has not yet started in all parts of the country. Things have not picked up in County Donegal as they have elsewhere. That needs to be considered when decisions are being made on where to send the fodder that is coming in so that farmers can avail of it. I appreciate that many farmers have acted generously by sharing fodder with their neighbours to ensure they can continue to feed their animals. Equally, we have all heard stories of farmers capitalising on the fact that the price of fodder has gone through the roof in some parts of the country. Such behaviour should be condemned. I do not think anybody should be profiting from the woes of certain farmers.

As the problem eases in the coming weeks - I hope the weather improves, we get some warmth and growth recovers across the country - it is vitally important for the Department to review what has happened in recent weeks. In particular, there should be an examination of whether the banks have been providing credit to farmers. The Minister confirmed at a committee meeting approximately ten days ago that the Department would ensure feed was supplied for the animals of farmers who did not have fodder and were unable to access credit. I would like the operation of that system to be reviewed over the next few months. I would like to hear from farmers and from the Department about whether support was made available and what farmers had to do to receive it. That will be very important.

As other Deputies have said, this crisis will probably recur next year because the growing season has started so late this year. Many farmers have lost a cut of silage. There will probably be another fodder crisis in the spring of next year. The provision of aid towards the purchase of fodder has to continue in the Department. I know the Minister has said he will continue to support that. The Department has to continue to support the purchase of fodder to ensure there are stocks for next winter and the early spring of next year. I would like the Minister to make sure that is continued.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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It is evident that this is a devastating time for the farming community throughout the country. There is huge negativity among those involved in family farms who have been striving against the odds in recent years to keep their small businesses going. I have spoken to a number of farmers of all sizes and categories who are contemplating the sale of up to half of their herds, which would be an awful scenario. The halving of cow numbers by many farmers would be a retrograde step for this country's dairy industry. Farmers in the south west face the elements and contend with high levels of rainfall to a greater extent than their counterparts in other areas, such as the sunny south east. There is a better quality of land in many parts of the east. Significant amounts of hay were being imported into County Kerry as far back as the latter end of last autumn. I think that is a demonstration of the contrast that exists at the moment.

We are fortunate that English hay is being brought into this country through the transport subsidy scheme. I compliment the Minister on the efforts he is making in these constricted times, when budgets are not very plentiful and we must make the most of what we have. I also compliment the efforts of the IFA and the farming communities that have co-operated with one another.

They more or less kept the people who were in real need in existence all along-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Deputy to conclude.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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The other point I make is that the scheme should be extended further. For example, there is real need for the French hay that is coming in through the efforts of the IFA. The transport scheme needs to be extended. I would like to have clarification regarding the marts. Last Thursday, I requested the Minister to extend the scheme to cover the other organisations we could use and which are relevant to the situation. I believe the marts should be included, with the co-ops, at the initial stages. We need to continue the scheme as it will help the situation until the end of the year and into the next year. I also ask the Minister for flexibility in regard to farm inspections.