The farming community will have been a bit disappointed to hear the Taoiseach say earlier that he was not aware of what the price of fertiliser is in the UK per tonne because it has been their talking point for a week.

Farmers now realise the only way they as primary producers can ensure the sustainability of their farming income and activity is to have direct input into their cost base and for them to have direct involvement in the primary and secondary processing of their product. A large number of farmers have come together in the past week and agreed on the need to form a co-operative to import their own fertiliser needs on a not-for-profit merchant basis. The reality of Ireland's fertiliser prices flatlining at €1,000 per tonne while our competitors next door are at €500 per tonne is damning indictment of how much anything outside the M50 means to this Government. Will the Government support these farmers setting up a co-operative as not-for-profit merchant importers?

The issue of import costs is a huge concern for us. That is why measures we have introduced across Government have been particularly targeted at supporting farmers. Last year we had the fodder scheme and more than €90 million of different interventions to support farmers in that regard. Government will continue to step in and provide support there. We have also supported farmers with producer organisations and the establishment of same. We very much want to see more farmers work collectively on the sale of their produce, and the co-operative movement is something we support as well.

Will the Government support this co-operative?

As for the proposal the Deputy is talking about, I am happy for my officials to look at that and examine it further.