Results 261-280 of 1,016,324 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Máiría Cahill OR speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin)

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Cathal Crowe: I will speak for seven minutes. If someone sneaks up behind me, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle can alert me and I will stop talking. I share many of the concerns that other Deputies have articulated today. I farm. I have 26 sucklers, short-horn Herefords and around me are farmers. My father and older members of my family recall a time when our village had 25 or 30 farmers. It is now down...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Carol Nolan: I am sure the Minister is aware of the correspondence we all received yesterday from the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland, FCI. It outlined that the knock-on impact of the recent weather is that less than one third of the normal spring work has been completed. Against this background, the FCI is requesting that the Minister postpone the planned introduction of the...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Michael Healy-Rae: It has been an horrendous time since the end of September up until last week, where cattle were housed and the tillage men were completely delayed and held up. I am certainly not coming into this House to attack the Minister, but there is one thing I would reinforce and ask him to do. We want to work with him. We should all be trying our best for the farmers of Ireland. I have one genuine...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Danny Healy-Rae: I have been a farmer all my life and I understand very well what farmers are going through and have gone through since 16 June last, since it started raining first. This €100 per hectare is €40 per acre for grain. God almighty, €40 an acre would not bring home one bag of messages. Farmers are being blamed for everything. Farmers are providing food, and if we do not...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Mattie McGrath: In ainm Dé, buíochas le Dia, the weather, tá an aimsir tirim inniu. We have had good weather for the past week and it is so badly needed, praise the Lord, because we cannot do anything without God, in my opinion. The weather helps everything. I just spoke to my neighbour, Diarmuid McGrath, and he is setting the potatoes today. We will have potatoes for Christmas dinner. We...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I am not sure those comments are warranted, Deputy.

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Mattie McGrath: They are.

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Perhaps you could refrain from referring to dogs.

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Mattie McGrath: I mean dogs metaphorically.

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I know that.

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Minister and Minister of State for the work they are doing. We have dealt with many evolving issues in the past four years since they took office and I thank them for sitting down and listening, not only to me but to the farmers in my constituency. I appreciate that. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the farmers I represent and to highlight the unique...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: We all know the situation because we have all dealt with farmers across our constituencies. They have spoken to us about the difficulties they have had to deal with lately. To some extent we knew from January that we were going to have a fodder shortage and that particular issues would need to be addressed. I cannot let this moment go without bringing up again the serious floods in...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Deputy Murnane O'Connor is sharing time with Deputy Feighan.

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Like all the other speakers I have farmers coming into my office from Borris, Bagenalstown, Tullow, Hacketstown, Rathvilly and Carlow itself - I have covered them all - and they are telling me they did not get to sow winter corn. They talk about bringing back seed because they did not get to sow. It has become a huge issue this year. Potato farmers are constantly on to me about how poor...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I call Deputy Lowry, who is sharing time with Deputies Shanahan and Tóibín.

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Michael Lowry: This year will go down in living memory as the year that brought farmers across the country to their knees. Incessant rain has caused devastation across every county, leaving farmers and their families reeling in its wake. We have an estimated 6.9 million ha of land overall in Ireland and 64% of this land is suitable for agriculture. However, the Irish agricultural sector overall has...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Matt Shanahan: I concur with the Ceann Comhairle’s remarks regarding Deputy Paul Murphy's contribution. I am not sure where in the country - never mind what part of the planet - what the Deputy had to say related to. Farming is heading fast to a crossroads and that intersection includes farm unviability, farm loss, future consolidated factory farming and economic loss to regional and rural...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: Farming as we know it is being significantly run down by the Government. I believe farming has been made the fall guy of climate change. This is bizarre and absolutely false. It is incredible that we live in a country where the level of air travel and the number of data centres are still increasing, yet the finger is being pointed by the Government and the political establishment at...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Deputy Lawless has asked me to acknowledge that members of the Sallins Sunshine Club is in the Public Gallery. They certainly brought the sunshine to Dublin today. I thank them for that. Our next contributor is an acknowledged expert on matters agricultural.

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Matt Carthy: I think the Minister would dispute that, but I will take it as high praise indeed. The takeaway from the speeches of the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, is something I have spoken about on a number of occasions. This is what I consider to be the lack of vision for the future of Irish agriculture. The Minister updated us on some of the immediate supports that have been...