Part 12 of A Programme for a Partnership Government relates to agriculture and the marine. Since last autumn a serious fodder crisis has been developing in this country. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister were far too slow to react in a meaningful way. The only way to explain this is to say they were asleep at the wheel. This has led to animal deaths being recorded at double what is normal for this time of year. Only for the co-operatives importing fodder, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine would never have woken up. Glanbia has promised a €50 payment for each tonne of animal feed purchased during April. Will this be extended by the Department to all farmers and every co-operative as well as backdated to January for farmers who can show receipts for fodder they purchased? This would in some way ease the major financial burden that farmers are under at this time.

I would like to inform the Taoiseach as well as ask a question on the dire needs of farmers in west Cork because of the fodder crisis. We will have a Private Members' motion later on, when we will have a chance to discuss the matter further. Is the Taoiseach fully aware of what is happening throughout the country and the dire circumstances in which farmers find themselves?

I am disappointed that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is not here to hear what we are highlighting after days of incessant rain in Kerry, including yesterday and the days beforehand. The ground has gone so wet now.

I heard the Taoiseach saying that the weather was picking up. The Taoiseach may be involved in some way in the weather forecasting and maybe he knows more than I do, but the fact is that if it dried today it would take two to three weeks before land would dry so that a farmer could leave cattle out.

Cattle are hungry. Cows are hungry. Lambs are perishing. Farmers' minds are being tested to the limit.

Will the Taoiseach and his Government subsidise meals and rations and give farmers some sort of subsidy? As Deputy Michael Collins said, this has been going on since last fall. By November, farmers had used half their fodder.

A final supplementary, Deputy, please.

Will the Taoiseach ensure that farmers who are owed payments will be paid advance payments before their next payments?

We get the message. The Deputy's time is up.

Will the Taoiseach do something for these farmers because they are being tested to the limit?

I call Deputy Martin Kenny to be followed by Deputy Brassil.

It is clear that everyone, including the Taoiseach, is very conscious of the situation farmers are in but, unfortunately, nothing has been done for them. That is the problem. Some 15% of green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, payments are due to be paid to farmers from the middle of May onwards. I ask that those payments be brought forward and paid now. That would amount to €500 or €600 for most farmers, which is not a great deal of money. I understand there are regulations and that inspections are meant to take place before that happens but they can be set aside in the current emergency circumstances. It is a simple thing that can be done now to relieve this situation and get a cheque in the post to farmers by the end of this week. I implore the Taoiseach to make that happen.

I do not want to be repetitive but I ask if the Minister has any plans to deal with the psychological impact this issue is having on farmers across the country. Their physical and mental health is being affected by the crisis and I ask that any plans and help he has to resolve the issue would include help in that regard.

As somebody who is an active farmer and currently purchasing fodder in the uplands in Wicklow, I take on board the Deputies' points and appreciate the issue in question. It is not fair to say that nothing has been done. There have been a number of incentives. Deputy Michael Collins may shake his head-----

It is too late.

I did not interrupt the Deputy. Anyone who says they could have predicted last October that there would be a fodder shortage in the month of April when normally we would have weather-----

It has been raining since July.

Deputies, please, let the Minister of State answer.

We will have a debate on this issue for two hours this evening.

I know. Can Deputies let the Minister of State answer?

I know what is going on on the ground as much as any of the people who have spoken, probably more than most of them. If anybody says they could have predicted last October what the weather would be like in April and that we would have a late spring, they are in the wrong business.

It has been raining since July.

We have introduced measures including a fodder import subsidy and a fodder transport subsidy. The Deputy said animals are dying. There has always been a welfare helpline in place for people who have a dire need for fodder who will get it, regardless. There is fodder within the country that is still being moved throughout the country and what is being assisted is the cost to transport that.

The Minister of State should go back to his constituents and talk to them.

Farmers are on the brink.

They are on the brink.

The Deputy does not know what he is talking about.

Deputy Collins, resume your seat, please. Deputies, control yourselves, please. You are not doing the farmers any good with this carry-on.

The Minister of State is not doing them any good.

Resume your seats.