Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2013
1. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken to deal with the fodder crisis; his views on whether the crisis is under control; the number of fallen animals recorded each month this year compared to the same period in 2012; the further steps he intends to take to alleviate the hardship of the current fodder shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21656/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraQuestion No. 1 concerns the response to the fodder crisis in recent weeks that has also been an issue throughout the winter. We had a one-and-a-half-hour debate on it last night, which we will continue tonight. The Deputy opposite posed some questions last night that I will answer today and I think he might find the answers useful.
As I outlined, we are doing a number of things, including a transport subsidy scheme that has been extended for a week and that will facilitate the importation after the Friday deadline of fodder that has been purchased outside Ireland this week. We have an ongoing emergency animal welfare system whereby farmers can ring up a lo-call number and if they cannot afford to feed their animals or cannot find fodder to do so, we will help them to ensure no animal anywhere in the country starves. We spoke about the fertiliser initiative that co-operatives are facilitating by providing interest-free credit for this month to encourage farmers to get fertiliser out there. Teagasc is focusing its advisers on trying to get grass growing as quickly as possible to make up for lost ground. We also spoke about banks' and co-operatives' making credit available, the initiatives that are there, which are constructive and positive, and farm payments, particularly the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS.
I am glad to give the House an update on REPS 4 payments, which Deputy Ó Cuív raised last night. There is no delay in respect of REPS 4 payments for 2012. To date, just over 29,200 of the remaining 30,200 REPS 4 participants have been paid a total of €166 million in respect of the 2012 application period. Over the past week, over 700 REPS participants received a total of €2.2 million in respect of their REPS 4 2012 payment. A further 220 will be paid just under €1 million this week, bringing the total paid close to €170 million under the REPS 4 scheme. This represents a significant improvement on last year's figures, with further payments continuing to issue on an ongoing basis as queries are resolved. In other words, we are genuinely trying to fast-track payments as best we can this year, be they AEOS or REPS. We are well ahead of where we were last year in terms of getting payments out and will continue to put pressure on because I know the stress that many farmers have been under, particularly over the past month, and this continues in many farmyards. Getting payments out on time or early certainly helps to relieve that stress.
The same arrangements apply to Priority and Oral Questions pursuant to yesterday's order from today onwards. There will be six minutes for each question, two minutes for the Minister's initial reply, four minutes overall for supplementary questions and replies and one minute for each question and reply, respectively.
I did not get any reply on the number of fallen animals. However, I welcome what the Minister said about AEOS and REPS payments. I hope he will get all the outstanding payments out quickly. In respect of the fodder scheme, setting an arbitrary deadline of this Friday is wrong.
I ask the Minister once again if he will extend the date to 17 May. Otherwise, co-ops or other suppliers would have to buy fodder that they might not need because they cannot take the chance that they can order and deliver it next week. I ask the Minister to extend the time to 17 May.
There was a 9% decrease in the number of cattle between 1998-99 and now. How is it we are in such a mess now when we were able to handle the situation, seamlessly, in that period?
What are the Minister's plans to help farmers to conserve fodder for next year? He knows that this is already an issue. In particular, is he willing to waive Teagasc fees where these relate to advice pertaining to conserving and maximising the amount of fodder we produce this year?
The Deputy asked for information on the figures for fallen animals. The most up-to-date figures available to me show that at the beginning of May, the total for 2013 is 143,000 fallen animals, compared to 117,000 last year. In the first three months of 2009, there were just under 100,000 fallen animals compared with 106,000 this year. It is important to put those figures in context. I acknowledge there have been more fallen animals this year than previously. This is the result of a significant increase of 3.5% in the number of calves being born this year because many farmers are trying to increase their herd numbers. The main reasons are the unusual weather pattern last summer, an unusual autumn and a much longer winter than normal. As a result of the feed problems and the unusual temperatures, animals have been more prone to disease. Their levels of immunity and nutrition are not what they would normally be.
Thank you, Minister.
Are we being allowed the same time for replies as is usual? We seem to be very rushed.
As I announced yesterday, an order was agreed that it would be two minutes for the Minister, one minute for a question and one minute for a reply.
I will come back to answer the rest of the Deputy's questions.
I will be very brief with the rest of my questions. Does the Minister intend to relax the stocking rules under the disadvantaged areas scheme? As he knows, there is a seven-month period in which minimum stocking must be made. What are the Minister's plans to ensure adequate markets for cattle and sheep this year and in particular for store cattle and light mountain lambs? These would be particularly difficult to market because farmers will not be in the business of buying lambs for grazing. I have a final question in addition to the other two or three which the Minister did not answer. The Minister for Social Protection could come up with €10 million to add one week to the free fuel scheme and she does not seem to have had any difficulty in getting approval from the Government. In the interest of both animal welfare and farmer welfare, will the Minister get approval from the Government for the reintroduction of the suckler welfare scheme this year on a once-off emergency basis?
Sometimes it would seem that the Deputy opposite has never been in government. When the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, announced the extension of the scheme to which he refers, she found that money from within her own budget.
Will the Minister find it from his budget?
I have to find any extra money I spend from within my budget. There is no point in taking money from farmers in one scheme to give it under another scheme.
The Minister needs to prioritise it
We have prioritised it.
Or else he should get it from the Government.
It is nothing to do with getting approval from Government; I can manage my own budget. We are spending €1 million or so on the transport subsidy. We have said there is no ceiling to what we will spend on animal welfare when farmers need to be assisted in extreme cases. The Department has taken more than 500 calls on the emergency assistance help line. We have directly assisted 100 farmers by intervening to feed their animals. We will continue this policy for as long as necessary.
On the request to extend the fodder scheme beyond Friday, we have already extended it by one week. I am trying to avoid low volumes of hay and other forms of fodder coming into Ireland over a prolonged period and into the summer.
Why not extend it by seven days?
I ask the Deputy to listen. We are trying to incentivise the importation of large volumes of fodder over a short period. Therefore, we are sticking to the date of this Friday. This date already includes an extension. However, if a farmer has proof of purchase of fodder dated before this Friday, we will, of course, facilitate the bringing in of that feed next week and the week after, if necessary. However, I want to know how much feed is being imported, how much the public is subsidising it, so that we know what we are spending. I also wish to incentivise the purchase of as much fodder as we can buy now and to get it into the country as soon as possible. Farmers will be reassured if they know how much will be available. This is the reasoning. It is not the case that I do not want to extend, rather it makes sense to stick to a deadline of this week. We have discussed that with farming bodies and most of them agree with that decision.
It does not make any sense. I am directly involved with the farming organisations in bringing in the fodder.
