The whole population is under severe pressure dealing with this Covid situation. Importantly, for the farming community, it is a lonely place and farmers find it hard to get labour if they get sick or whatever.

Officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, however, are insisting on doing sheep welfare inspections. This is ridiculous. They should be supporting these farmers because it might take days to round up all the sheep on hill and mountain farms. One needs good weather but with fog, rain and short days many farmers are unable to do it. This is putting huge pressure on farmers in my and other constituencies who are forced to do this. Can the Department not use drones or some other technology to deal with this?

I always support departmental officials but they need to be supporting farmers now, both physically and mentally. These farmers are under huge pressure because they cannot get staff if they get ill or Covid. Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to call off the wolves here?

Thank you, Deputy.

These sheep inspections can be done by drones. Support the farmers; do not terrorise them.

To be fair, wolves have not been reintroduced yet in the country.

I did not say that.

I am only jesting. I will follow it up with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue.

It is a serious issue. Why is the Taoiseach making light of it?

I will follow it up with the Minister.

The Taoiseach will follow it up.

I will talk to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine about the sheep welfare inspectors. I am not aware of the potential for drones to monitor sheep on the headlands. Maybe the Department can explore that as well.