Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, I was invited to attend an Irish Farmers Association, IFA, briefing in Corrofin, County Galway. It was hosted by Mr. Stephen Canavan, who is the new IFA county chair for Galway. Now that things are opening up again, we are getting an opportunity to meet people again. We very much had an opportunity to understand the concerns of farmers at that meeting. The high costs are hitting home. Many farmers are not spreading fertiliser, which is causing issues. Normally farmers spread fertiliser if they are doing a first or second cut but that is not happening because they are not getting fertiliser and are not spreading it. Some of the reasons come back to what we have heard anecdotally. Providers, farm suppliers and merchants are not able to provide credit whereas previously, credit would have been made available and farmers would have paid it back when they got their payments in September and October. That is not happening as often now because costs have risen so high. The same applies for the farm suppliers themselves. They are only getting one third of what they would have had for the same cost this time last year.

It is having a considerable impact. Concerns have been raised with me and many of my colleagues who were in attendance at that briefing in Corofin. We need to ensure that supports are being given to farmers at an early stage. More than €55 million is coming through for silage measures. That is a support to ensure there is fodder available in the winter months. There must also be an onus on how we manage cattle coming into the winter months and follow-on sales of cattle. It is going to be crucial that we discuss these matters with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, and consider how we will ensure immediate supports for farmers in the time ahead.