Tá sé ráite ag an Seanadóir Trevor Ó Clochartaigh go léiríonn an moill, mhíshásúil Rialtais ar an ngéarchéim fodar
easpa tuiscine níos doimhne ar chúrsaí tuaithe agus léiríonn sé an gá le tuilleadh réamhullmhúcháin d'aon géarchéim a d'fhéadfadh tarlú an bhliain seo chugainn. Bhí urlabhraí Shinn Féin ar Ghnóthaí Tuaithe ag labhairt le linn díospóireacht sa Seanad ar an ngéarchéim fodar, nuair a d'iarr sé ar an Aire Talmhaíochta a bheith níos airdeallaí agus mhínigh sé go raibh feirmeoirí fós ag tabhairt aghaidh ar chruatan suntasach.
“Tá an ghéarchéim fodar tar éis go leor strus agus imní a chruthú le roinnt seachtainí agus míonna anuas”.
“Tá a fhios ag aon duine a bhíonn i dteagmháil le feirmeoirí go bhfuil bá faoi leith ag feirmeoirí lena gcuid eallach. Ag labhairt le feirmeoirí i nGaillimh agus ar fud an iarthair bhí sé soiléir dom go raibh sé ag cur go leor anacair orthu a gcuid ainmhithe a fheiceáil lag agus tinn agus gur chuir sé as go mór doibh a bheith ag féachaint ar ainmhithe ag fáil bháis.”
"I gcodanna den tír, d'ardaigh líon na n-ainmhithe marbh a bailiodh thart ar 40% agus dhearbhaigh an Roinn Talmhaíochta go raibh os cionn 60% de mhéadú sa méid beithígh ar fuair bás idir Eanáir agus Feabhra na bliana seo agus Eanáir agus Feabhra 2012”.
“Táimid anois ag tabhairt aghaidh ar an Samhradh agus cé go bhfuilimid dóchasach do mbeidh feabhas ar an aimsir agus go maolóidh sé sin an brú ar bheatha, ní hé sin le rá go bhfuil deireadh leis an ngéarchéim. Seans go mbeidh na beithígh in ann dul ar féarach, ach ní mhór don Aire a bheith aireach, mar ní chiallaíonn sé sin go n-imeoidh na fiacha agus brúnna airgeadais atá ag líon mhór feirmeoirí de
thoradh na géarcheime”.
"Tá go leor feirmeoirí agus a dteaghlaigh atá faoi an-chruatan agus tá siad tar éis go leor fiacha suntasacha a tharraingt orthu féin. Beidh impleachtaí leanúnacha agus fad-téarmacha aige seo ar go leor teaghlaigh feirme agus tá sé riachtanach go bhfaighidís pé cúnamh atá ar fáil”.
“Tacaím leis an moladh atá ag an ICMSA, go gcuirfeadh an Rialtas isteach ar mhaoiniú géarchéime faoin gCiste Dlúthpháirtíochta atá ag an AE, mar a rinne stáit eile a bhí sa riocht céanna i mblianta eile. Ceapaim gur chóir roinnt smaoineamh a dhéanamh freisin ar an moladh faoi íocaíocht aonair feirme a íoc amach níos luaithe i mbliana”.
D’éiligh an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh freisin ar an Aire a chinntiú nach bhfeicimid a leithéad d'eapsa gníomhaíochta arís an Gheimhreadh seo chugainn
“Caithfear tosnú le ullmhúchán don bhliain seo chugainn, caithfear glacadh leis go bhfuil seans ann go mbeidh Samhradh fliuch againn arís agus pleananna teagmhais a chur in áit.”
“Caithfidh an Roinn plean a bheith acu chun a chinntiú go mbeidh fáil acu ar fodar breise go sciobtha agus go héasca más gá agus go mbeidh siad in ann é a iompórtáil chomh luath is atá gá leo”.
“Ní amháin go gcabhródh sé seo le feirmeoirí dá dtarlódh go mbeadh deacrachtaí ann ó thaobh fodar arís, ach bheadh luach faoi leith ann ó thaobh an suaimhneas intine a thabhairt d'fheirmeoirí, dá mbeadh gá acu do beatha breise, go mbeadh fáil acu air, go tapaigh agus is rud fíor thábhachtach é sin.”
Fodder crisis not yet over- Ó Clochartaigh
Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh has said that the poor response to the fodder crisis reflects a deeper lack of understanding of rural issues and highlights the need for greater preparation for any repeat next year. The Sinn Féin spokesperson on Rural Development was speaking during a debate in the Seanad on the fodder crisis, where he urged the Minister to be vigilant and that farmers were still facing considerable hardship.
“The fodder crisis has been an issue which has caused great distress and concern over recent weeks and months”.
“Anyone who deals with farmers knows that they have a very particular connection with their animals. Speaking to farmers in Galway and across the West, I could see that it traumatised them to see their animals weak and unwell, and the thought of their animals dying seriously affected them”.
“In some parts of the country collections of dead animals has increased by up to 40% and the Department of Agriculture has confirmed that deaths of cattle aged 48 months and over was up by over 60% between January and February of this year compared to January and February of
2012.”
“We are now facing in to the summer months and while we hope for an improvement in the weather to alleviate the scarcity of feed, it does not mean that the crisis is over. Cattle may be able to get out in to the fields; however the Minister needs to be vigilant, as that does not mean
that the debts and financial difficulties facing so many farmers will go away”.
“Many farmers and their families have suffered severe hardship this winter and have incurred significant debts and
liabilities. This will have on-going and long term implications for many farm families and it is essential that whatever assistance is available is given to them”.
“I endorse the ICMSA suggestion of applying to the EU Solidarity Fund for emergency funding to address the
crisis, as states in similar situations have done in the past. Likewise, I believe some consideration should be given to the proposal to bring forward the single farm payment.”
Senator Ó Clochartaigh also called on the Minister to ensure that next Winter would not see a repeat of the slow response.
“Preparation needs to begin for next year, the possibility of another exceptionally wet Summer must be factored in and contingency plans put in place.”
“The Department needs to have plans to ensure that it has easy and quick access to additional fodder if needed and that it can import them as soon as they are needed.”
“In addition to the fact that this would
help farmers in the event of a similar difficulty arising, there would be an
enormous value in the peace of mind that if they needed additional feed, it
could be got and quickly, and that peace of mind would be greatly
valued.”
easpa tuiscine níos doimhne ar chúrsaí tuaithe agus léiríonn sé an gá le tuilleadh réamhullmhúcháin d'aon géarchéim a d'fhéadfadh tarlú an bhliain seo chugainn. Bhí urlabhraí Shinn Féin ar Ghnóthaí Tuaithe ag labhairt le linn díospóireacht sa Seanad ar an ngéarchéim fodar, nuair a d'iarr sé ar an Aire Talmhaíochta a bheith níos airdeallaí agus mhínigh sé go raibh feirmeoirí fós ag tabhairt aghaidh ar chruatan suntasach.
“Tá an ghéarchéim fodar tar éis go leor strus agus imní a chruthú le roinnt seachtainí agus míonna anuas”.
“Tá a fhios ag aon duine a bhíonn i dteagmháil le feirmeoirí go bhfuil bá faoi leith ag feirmeoirí lena gcuid eallach. Ag labhairt le feirmeoirí i nGaillimh agus ar fud an iarthair bhí sé soiléir dom go raibh sé ag cur go leor anacair orthu a gcuid ainmhithe a fheiceáil lag agus tinn agus gur chuir sé as go mór doibh a bheith ag féachaint ar ainmhithe ag fáil bháis.”
"I gcodanna den tír, d'ardaigh líon na n-ainmhithe marbh a bailiodh thart ar 40% agus dhearbhaigh an Roinn Talmhaíochta go raibh os cionn 60% de mhéadú sa méid beithígh ar fuair bás idir Eanáir agus Feabhra na bliana seo agus Eanáir agus Feabhra 2012”.
“Táimid anois ag tabhairt aghaidh ar an Samhradh agus cé go bhfuilimid dóchasach do mbeidh feabhas ar an aimsir agus go maolóidh sé sin an brú ar bheatha, ní hé sin le rá go bhfuil deireadh leis an ngéarchéim. Seans go mbeidh na beithígh in ann dul ar féarach, ach ní mhór don Aire a bheith aireach, mar ní chiallaíonn sé sin go n-imeoidh na fiacha agus brúnna airgeadais atá ag líon mhór feirmeoirí de
thoradh na géarcheime”.
"Tá go leor feirmeoirí agus a dteaghlaigh atá faoi an-chruatan agus tá siad tar éis go leor fiacha suntasacha a tharraingt orthu féin. Beidh impleachtaí leanúnacha agus fad-téarmacha aige seo ar go leor teaghlaigh feirme agus tá sé riachtanach go bhfaighidís pé cúnamh atá ar fáil”.
“Tacaím leis an moladh atá ag an ICMSA, go gcuirfeadh an Rialtas isteach ar mhaoiniú géarchéime faoin gCiste Dlúthpháirtíochta atá ag an AE, mar a rinne stáit eile a bhí sa riocht céanna i mblianta eile. Ceapaim gur chóir roinnt smaoineamh a dhéanamh freisin ar an moladh faoi íocaíocht aonair feirme a íoc amach níos luaithe i mbliana”.
D’éiligh an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh freisin ar an Aire a chinntiú nach bhfeicimid a leithéad d'eapsa gníomhaíochta arís an Gheimhreadh seo chugainn
“Caithfear tosnú le ullmhúchán don bhliain seo chugainn, caithfear glacadh leis go bhfuil seans ann go mbeidh Samhradh fliuch againn arís agus pleananna teagmhais a chur in áit.”
“Caithfidh an Roinn plean a bheith acu chun a chinntiú go mbeidh fáil acu ar fodar breise go sciobtha agus go héasca más gá agus go mbeidh siad in ann é a iompórtáil chomh luath is atá gá leo”.
“Ní amháin go gcabhródh sé seo le feirmeoirí dá dtarlódh go mbeadh deacrachtaí ann ó thaobh fodar arís, ach bheadh luach faoi leith ann ó thaobh an suaimhneas intine a thabhairt d'fheirmeoirí, dá mbeadh gá acu do beatha breise, go mbeadh fáil acu air, go tapaigh agus is rud fíor thábhachtach é sin.”
Fodder crisis not yet over- Ó Clochartaigh
Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh has said that the poor response to the fodder crisis reflects a deeper lack of understanding of rural issues and highlights the need for greater preparation for any repeat next year. The Sinn Féin spokesperson on Rural Development was speaking during a debate in the Seanad on the fodder crisis, where he urged the Minister to be vigilant and that farmers were still facing considerable hardship.
“The fodder crisis has been an issue which has caused great distress and concern over recent weeks and months”.
“Anyone who deals with farmers knows that they have a very particular connection with their animals. Speaking to farmers in Galway and across the West, I could see that it traumatised them to see their animals weak and unwell, and the thought of their animals dying seriously affected them”.
“In some parts of the country collections of dead animals has increased by up to 40% and the Department of Agriculture has confirmed that deaths of cattle aged 48 months and over was up by over 60% between January and February of this year compared to January and February of
2012.”
“We are now facing in to the summer months and while we hope for an improvement in the weather to alleviate the scarcity of feed, it does not mean that the crisis is over. Cattle may be able to get out in to the fields; however the Minister needs to be vigilant, as that does not mean
that the debts and financial difficulties facing so many farmers will go away”.
“Many farmers and their families have suffered severe hardship this winter and have incurred significant debts and
liabilities. This will have on-going and long term implications for many farm families and it is essential that whatever assistance is available is given to them”.
“I endorse the ICMSA suggestion of applying to the EU Solidarity Fund for emergency funding to address the
crisis, as states in similar situations have done in the past. Likewise, I believe some consideration should be given to the proposal to bring forward the single farm payment.”
Senator Ó Clochartaigh also called on the Minister to ensure that next Winter would not see a repeat of the slow response.
“Preparation needs to begin for next year, the possibility of another exceptionally wet Summer must be factored in and contingency plans put in place.”
“The Department needs to have plans to ensure that it has easy and quick access to additional fodder if needed and that it can import them as soon as they are needed.”
“In addition to the fact that this would
help farmers in the event of a similar difficulty arising, there would be an
enormous value in the peace of mind that if they needed additional feed, it
could be got and quickly, and that peace of mind would be greatly
valued.”
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