The serious situation with regard to the grain crisis seems to have gone very quiet in recent weeks. The reality of the situation now is that the mills are looking for money and the farmers who lost crops or who had a very poor return because of the bad weather are left in despair. The Government asked all politicians to give them a chance on this issue and last month they had a number of meetings with all the stakeholders. But there has been a deafening silence since about the establishment of a fund for these farmers.When we have contacted the EU they say that the Irish Department of Agriculture have not made any formal application. I have spoken to MEP’s who have confirmed that is the situation. I am now calling on Minister Creed to move quickly on this matter and to contact his colleagues in Europe on this situation.
We also need Teagasc to ensure that they have accurate figures on this crisis and that they compile the necessary information properly which will take a lot of work on the ground. This is work that should have been done before now and I am requesting Teagasc to carry out this work immediately. Whether this funding comes out of the national purse or from Europe these farmers must be supported.
