Today I raise the issue of the fodder crisis. While it is being discussed later on this afternoon, due to bereavement I have to head west. I will just make three brief points on it. If the Minister is serious about supporting agriculture, he needs to immediately instruct the payment of all outstanding payments to farmers. I refer not only to GLAS payments, but to all of the other payments. This would mean a huge amount to farmers, particularly farmers in the west who are really struggling to survive at this time. There is no reason whatsoever why these outstanding payments cannot be made. I urge the Minister to make them and to make a commitment that he will have them paid by the end of the month.

I also ask him to suspend all inspections for the moment because of the awful weather we have had. There is no point in inspecting farms at this time, when farmers are in crisis mode. Those inspections can be delayed and it is within the Minister's capacity to do so. I also appeal to the co-operatives not to take advantage of the fact that the demand for hay and silage is so high and to be considerate of the fact that the customers they have in those farmers are reliable customers who support them year after year and month after month. Obviously the voucher system, for which we have been calling since last October, needs to be implemented by the Minister. It would have been simple for him to do that. A framework needs to be in put in place whereby something will be ready when we again have crises such as those caused by the really inclement or savage weather we have had in order that a button can be pressed and farmers can be helped in their time of need. As one farmer put it to me yesterday, there is no use in telling the cow that she will be given a bale of hay next week. It just does not wash. I ask for those things to be done.

The cow does not speak English.

Probably not. Not as well as Senator Norris anyway.

One would have to meet the cow.

Agus tá Gaeilge flúirseach agam freisin.

Can we return to matters of relevance?

The other matter I want to bring up is very simple. I want to the Taoiseach to come to the Seanad to discuss why he withdrew the Trans-European Transport Network, Ten-T, projects in respect of the west and the western rail corridor. He owes us an explanation. He needs to tell us exactly what is being put in place now in order that the available EU funding can be availed of and that the projects will be on both the core list and comprehensive list again. People in the west are really concerned that we have lost out on opportunities for EU funding for these projects which are vital to the sustainability of the west.