Fine Gael Limerick TD Patrick O’Donovan has welcomed the announcement from the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney TD, that he is extending the imported fodder transport scheme for a further two weeks and doubling the fund to €2 million. Patrick O’Donovan also said that the decision of the Department of Agriculture to allow a local Limerick company to avail of the transport subsidy was hugely important to ensure that one of the worst affected areas in the country was being prioritised.
“This will come as welcome relief to farmers in Limerick who are still struggling to cope with fodder shortages. Over the last few weeks thousands of bales of fodder have been imported and transported to farmers in need. Last week I arranged for farmers from across Co. Limerick to meet with the Minister to give him their first hand experience of the situation across the county and to tell him of the financial and emotional hardship that many of them and their neighbours are experiencing at the moment.
“The Minister took the decision to extend the scheme following consultation with those working on the ground. Minister Coveney has consulted with Met Éireann, the Co-ops, the farming organisations and Teagasc to ensure he is getting an accurate picture of what is happening at a local level.
Simon Coveney acknowledged the very special situation that farmers in Limerick are experiencing when he allowed a local company to avail of the transport scheme and it came after a series of meetings between the Minister, Patrick O’Donovan and officials of the department on a number of occasions where the Limerick TD impressed upon them the serious situation confronting Co. Limerick farmers.
Patrick O’Donovan added that he has been having regular contact with the farming organisations and the co-op’s in Limerick and he thanked them sincerely for the efforts that they have been making to help.
The issue has been debated on a number of occasions in the Dáil during the recent past and Patrick O’Donovan raised the particular circumstances in Limerick and the impressed upon the Ministers for Agriculture and Social Protection to work jointly to help members of the farming community who are in the greatest need.