Farmers' incomes are under threat again. No grass is growing and many farmers are grazing their herds on second cut silage. Many are using first cut silage for feed. Farmers are feeding costly meals and rations daily.

Are we on to climate change now?

When the Tánaiste was the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, he told farmers to increase production of milk. He even told the farmers that the Chinese population would drink it. All farmers now, however, are in a tight corner. I ask the Tánaiste, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, and the Government to secure feed from abroad for this winter. Farmers do not have it, or they will not have it, and there will be a fodder crisis like never before. Nothing is left since last winter. I ask the Government to act in time to protect farmers and their incomes.

This is a serious issue. Ireland looks very different now from what it normally looks like at this time of year. The Deputy is aware that grass growth is dramatically less than it normally would be, especially along the southern quarter of the country. If one looks at the science of the grass growth curve, how it looks this year compared with a normal grazing season is quite dramatic.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, set up a fodder group, which met last week, and Teagasc is keeping in close contact with farming organisations. Farmers will need to plan for their own situations. Obviously, that will depend on how the weather changes in the coming weeks. At the moment, there is a need to focus on animal welfare in terms of shelter, water and supplementing grass feed with concentrates and silage where required. There is also a need to plan for the months and winter ahead in terms of the availability of silage for that period. Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will work with farmers on that.