Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I mean no harm, but that is absolute baloney. I do not need the preaching of a fairy tale from Department of agriculture. These farmers are very well equipped and very well aware of the responsibilities to environmental mitigation. Yet, it is absolutely the Department's responsibility to mitigate against farmers going out of business. It is absolutely the Department’s responsibility to look after the farming communities and it is their remit. The strategic aims, which are on the Department's website, are to support farming families. What is that about? The Minister of State is telling me that the farmers can look at mitigating measures, and that is an absolute cart of bull. I am not taking it.

There is precedent for schemes, such as in Inishowen. That was good enough for Charlie back in 2017. Inishowen received funding for pretty much the exact same thing that has happened. Their fences were destroyed. Their fodder was destroyed, as was their fertiliser, and their fields were absolutely ruined. Do not tell me that there is no precedent for it. Some of that €9.3 million could go to it. The €300,000 in that figure would go a long way towards fixing a few farmers in north Louth. I think the Department of agriculture is in fairy tale land.