Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Moving on, I concur with the consensus emerging in this Chamber today regarding the Joanne Hayes story. It is a blot on our collective past. It is a horror. It is not something that we should try to write out of history, deny or engage in some sort of mental gymnastics to pretend it did not happen. It did happen. We should be collectively ashamed of it and make amends in the future.

I wish to briefly raise two other matters. The first matter is the ever-remaining threat of Brexit. It remains a constant threat to our country but it also remains a threat to the Border community where I live in a very particular way. There is a risk of complacency now that we might get somewhat smug about it and think the matter is solved. In that regard, I am happy that our committee here is continuing. I am also happy that the Taoiseach spoke about it strongly today in the European Parliament and sought to gain the help of our European colleagues to ensure that the agreement with the UK is hammered into real practice. I want an assurance from the Leader that we will have constant monitoring of the Brexit debate because the people I represent and the entire economic and social life of my community stand to be dislocated and destroyed by Brexit. I would be negligent if I did not ask the Leader to assure me of the constant monitoring of this issue. When the Taoiseach comes to this House, I ask that it be the number one item on the agenda and that we get assurances from him as to what is being practically done.

I wish to raise a not-unrelated matter, which is very important to my community and to the west. Farmers are experiencing a crisis because of the weather conditions we have had.Farmers face a very serious fodder crisis which is causing great mental distress, animal welfare problems and financial hardship of mammoth proportions. They are trying to bring fodder up from the south and east where it is more plentiful and transporting it to Cavan and Monaghan, west Cavan in particular. If one purchases silage at €25 a bale in the south and includes the transportation bill, it is very serious. I ask through the Leader that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine subsidises the transport of fodder from areas of plenty to those of great need. I have farmers watching the Houses today who expect a solution to this real hardship. This is a real human tragedy and an animal welfare issue and I ask the Leader to deal with it urgently. There should be no casual procrastination on this one.