Creed ‘missed opportunity on crisis funding’

FIANNA Fáil TD Jackie Cahill claimed Minister Creed had already missed an opportunity to put in place the necessary funding to deal with the fodder crisis by not supporting moves to reallocate unused Department of Agriculture funds.

Mr Cahill was speaking after raising the issue at last week’s meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Agriculture and Food Committee meeting.

“We were asked to approve a reallocation of €48.9m of unspent Department funds to a variety of different schemes.

“If just €4m of this underspend was allocated towards a fodder emergency fund we could get ahead of the crisis,” Mr Cahill said.

Calls were made at the INHFA meeting for areas of natural constraints scheme monies to be front loaded on to the first 20ha, as the additional €25m from the recent Budget is allocated. The minister confirmed all of the various options were being examined.

Meanwhile, Minister Creed is due to meet today with the five IFA county chairmen from Connacht to discuss the fodder difficulties in the west.

Galway chairman Pat Murphy said they will impress on the minister the need for a fodder scheme, and the necessity for measures to protect the suckler cow herd.

Mr Coll advised farmers facing a fodder shortfall to contact their local Teagasc office.