Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Feb 1999

Vol. 500 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Fodder Relief Scheme.

Mr. Crawford

I welcome the fact that the Minister included Counties Cavan and Monaghan in the most recent fodder scheme. My colleague, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle also welcomes it and would agree with me that, even for the suckler and dry cow farmers, it is not enough.

It is impossible to understand why dry stock and deer farmers should be left out of this Government fodder scheme. Are farmers supposed to feed beef and dry stock on air? Many farmers held stock last August and September because they were promised markets in Libya. These cattle used winter feed which was already scarce because of weather conditions. That was not the fault of the Minister. However, the fact that it was understood that a boat would sale on 1 October meant that cattle that would otherwise have been disposed of were held.

The Minister must give dry stock farmers the opportunity to apply under the fodder scheme, based on need. The Minister must also look at extending the fodder scheme to deer farmers and even to horse farmers. I heard horse farmers in Donegal and other counties complain recently that they were in need as well.

The Minister, along with colleagues of his, the former Ministers for Agriculture and Finance, and former Commissioner Ray MacSharry, together with the former Taoiseach, encouraged farmers to go into deer production. This Government has a responsibility to provide fodder, headage grants and perhaps even premiums to those who remain in deer farming. At least 50 per cent have been forced out.

I talked to a colleague of the Minister of State and mine in south Monaghan this evening and he told me of a farm which has sold its hinds at £70. These would have made £900 a few years ago. The Government assisted them in fencing their farms but these people cannot now sell their calves. At a meeting in Threemilehouse, the retired Commissioner, Ray MacSharry, supported this type of pyramid selling. The idea was that deer farming was one of the few alternatives for dry stock and dairy farmers which was outside the quota system. Mr. MacSharry paid £27,000 for a stag at one of the sales in Mitchelstown. His colleague, Mr. Haughey, paid £17,500. Ordinary farmers thought they were getting stags for nothing when they paid £8,000 for them. They bought them because they understood they were pure bred Hungarians. However, I discovered from a parliamentary question that only 12 Hungarian deer were ever imported here.

Three years ago and on the same night I raised the issue, the Minister, Deputy O'Rourke, then out of office, raised a similar matter in the House on behalf of a group conducting rate valuation jobs. She said then that these people should be banned. She has now appointed none other than Ray MacSharry to the board of Telecom Éireann.

There must be an inquiry into the Galtee deer care case in Mitchelstown of which Mr. MacSharry was a director for some time. Many farmers have found themselves in severe financial difficulty. Those still in deer farming should be given the benefit of the fodder scheme and headage premia, if possible. Headage was instigated some years ago, but in a recent answer to the House the Minister, Deputy Walsh, said no further effort had been made to obtain headage for deer farming. The Government, especially the Minister, Deputy Walsh, who was involved in the promotion of deer, should take the issue seriously and try to deal with it.

It was interesting to hear that Mr. MacSharry is giving breakfast briefings on a number of issues, including rural development. I hope it is not on deer farming.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food (Mr. Davern)

Perhaps the only way the Deputy will find out is to attend one of his briefings and listen to him. I thank the Deputy for giving the Leas-Cheann Comhairle credit for ensuring Monaghan and Cavan were included in the fodder scheme.

Mr. Crawford

We worked hard.

Mr. Davern

I appreciate that the Leas-Cheann Comhairle was extremely active on it. I am pleased to have the opportunity of commenting on the difficulties which many farmers face due to a shortage of fodder for livestock feeding. These difficulties have their origin in the unusually wet weather during the summer and autumn of last year, which, combined with below normal sunshine, resulted in reduced grass growth throughout the country. The situation was most acute in the peaty and heavy clay soil areas of certain counties where machinery could not operate on the land due to the waterlogged conditions of the fields. The capability of farmers in these areas to make silage and hay was greatly reduced. Unfortunately, the poor weather persisted into September and this exacerbated the fodder difficulty in the most seriously affected areas. In many cases animals had to be brought indoors much earlier than normal and this added to the demand for already scarce supplies of winter fodder.

A further report on winter fodder prepared by Teagasc in January this year indicated that the situation had deteriorated further due to continuous wet weather conditions, high stock levels on farms, earlier winter feedings because of ground conditions and poor silage quality. The difficulties are very widespread in the less favoured areas. The worst affected areas listed are Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Donegal, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo in the northern region. In the southern region the relevant areas are Kerry, west and north-west Cork or Duhallow, west Limerick and certain limited areas of Laois and Tipperary.

The Government has decided that a further scheme should be introduced to help farmers in these areas. Every effort will be made to direct aid at the most deserving cases. However, I am anxious to ensure that the grants will be paid as quickly as possible to bring immediate relief to those most in need. The Department will try to do this in the most efficient way possible while at the same time ensuring the proper standards of accountability.

Earlier today the Minister, Deputy Walsh, announced further details of the 1999 fodder scheme. A sum of £20 million is being made available for the measure. In addition to the £21 million paid out in December 1998, this brings the Government's contribution to fodder related schemes to £41 million this winter. Therefore, our reaction to this problem has been substantial and real.

The current scheme will have two main elements: a general fodder scheme and a special fodder hardship fund. The general fodder scheme will operate on the lines already announced on 5 February. The scheme will apply in all disadvantaged areas and cover farmers with suckler cows, lowland ewes and milk quotas under 35,000 gallons. Payment rates will be the same as in the 1998 scheme subject to the same ceiling of £300 per beneficiary. Farmers who have already qualified for payment in December 1998 will receive a 50 per cent top-up on their payments.

The special fodder hardship fund will operate for farmers who have not qualified for the 1998 scheme or the general fodder scheme for 1999, and this scheme will operate on a nationwide basis. The objective of the fund is to provide sup port to cattle farmers, which includes dry stock farmers who are almost totally dependent on a small farm enterprise as a source of income. The maximum rate of payment per applicant is £450 for farms located in the district electoral divisions designated for the December 1998 scheme and £300 in all other areas. To qualify for consideration under the scheme, an applicant must fulfil certain strict criteria. Teagasc certification will be required and application forms, which include full terms and conditions, are now available from Teagasc offices.

Over the past two decades the Irish deer industry has developed from very small beginnings to a sector involving some 600 producers with a total breeding stock of approximately 23,000 animals. Deer enterprises in Ireland tend to be small with the vast majority of herds less than 100 animals in size and more than half the herds are less than 50. One of the most important aspects of deer farming is that they thrive well on limited resources, which is in stark contrast to the cattle sector. Deer herds are small, so many producers may be better placed to secure the necessary supplies to feed their animals. The feed requirement of the average deer flock of 50 animals would be about two and a half round bales of hay or about 90 kgs of concentrate per week. This is in sharp contrast to what is required by smaller cattle farmers. It has accordingly been decided that deer and horses, which are close to my heart, should be excluded from the provisions of the hardship fund.