I welcome that the European Commission has indicated that market support for farmers under common organisation of agricultural markets, CMO, regulations can be made available when required. They are required now. Fertiliser prices have increased by up to 228% and there have been dramatic energy and feed price increases. Farmers' input costs across the board have increased. These are unsustainable costs for farmers who operate in a distorted market where the dominance of retailers and processors means primary producers do not get a fair price at the best of times.

I welcome the pig sector package announced by Government but it will not be sufficient to meet the needs of that sector. Every agriculture sector needs financial support immediately. Will the Tánaiste confirm that the Government will avail of the flexibility provided this week in a meaningful manner? Will he ensure that happens speedily and that financial supports reach farmers' bank accounts as a matter of urgency?

I thank the Deputy. As I mentioned earlier, I had a chance to meet with the six farming organisations yesterday and had a good discussion on this. While most sectors are seeing an increase in the prices farmers are getting, it is pretty much wiped out, if not entirely wiped out, by the increase of input costs, particularly when it comes to energy and fertiliser.

The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, was in Brussels this week discussing with his European partners and the Commission what we could do to provide farmers with additional financial assistance and he will work on that over the coming days. I cannot make any commitments in the House but suffice to say it is something the Minister has seized on.