The image from Ukraine that many of us saw last night and today in the newspapers and in other media of the heavily pregnant woman being stretchered out of a bombed maternity hospital is one that will stay in my head and, I am sure, the heads of many others for a long time. Russia is waging a barbaric war. I have been struck, having talked to Russians and Slavs here in Ireland and abroad over recent days, by the shame they believe Vladimir Putin is bringing to their country.

Ireland has very few tools available in this war and in the fight for democracy other than our voices and our money. There has been an enormous outpouring of both logistical and financial support to the Red Cross and other organisations, but it is a matter of encouraging that further. I commend the really important work being done in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council at present. I refer to the motion passed last night by my colleague, Councillor Peter O'Brien, to rename Orwell Road, where the Russian Embassy is located, "Independent Ukraine Road". Some might say that is just a gesture, but it is an important one and it is important symbolism in our stand with the Ukrainian people. I very much hope that our colleagues on Dublin City Council will follow through with the motion on that name change that will come before them next week.

There has been a lot of frustration over the past 24 hours about the price gouging we now see by some fuel companies in response to the excise cuts overnight. There are serious questions for the companies involved and for the Government. There is a real issue here. We cannot complain about exploitation of the excise reductions and lament that this is happening when the Government has powers under the Consumer Protection Act 2007 to impose maximum fuel prices. If we have learned anything over the past 14 years, it is that the impossible is possible. The Government now needs to act to use those provisions within the Consumer Protection Act 2007 to impose maximum prices.

You are unstoppable, Senator.

I agree with Senator Sherlock about the horrific bombing yesterday in Ukraine. More disturbing, however, is that those infamous words "fake news" are now being used by the Russians where women and children have been maimed and killed. It is just shocking. All we can do is hope there is some type of breakthrough and ceasefire there because it is very much a doomsday situation for everybody.

I also support Senator Sherlock in her comments on the fuel situation and fuel pricing. I raised last night at our parliamentary party meeting the fact that many filling stations are owned by wholesalers. Let us not forget that. Many of the people in them are managers. Sometimes we blame the retailers. Senator Sherlock is right that the Taoiseach indicated that the Government would pursue these people to see if this is going on. It is very peculiar that over recent days petrol and diesel prices have gone from A to B to C to D all of a sudden. We have a reserve of 90 days in this country, so I appeal to people not to get into a panic.

Senator Carrigy is right that farmers, hauliers, coach drivers, the people who run school bus services and many others are under pressure now. I am satisfied, however, that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Government will come up with further supports and schemes. We are either with the Ukrainian people or we are not. If we are, we all have to accept we will face some pain. We cannot speak out of both sides of our mouths on this issue. What is happening is horrific, and there are consequences for every one of us. Absolutely, the Government must do everything to support vulnerable people, businesses and industry because everything could collapse if it does not. There will, however, be pain for every single one of us, and we have to be prepared to take some little bit of pain if we are genuine friends of the Ukrainian people.

I will follow on from some of the previous contributors' comments on the announcement yesterday on the cut in fuel costs, including diesel prices. While it is welcome, it is utterly pointless if we have petrol stations around the country increasing their prices by the amount by which we are reducing them. I have had phone calls from people in Tipperary who saw those increases happen within 24 hours of the suspected announcement and then further changes following the announcement. That really is shameful when people are to the pin of their collar in being able to afford to just travel to work. A great many people in my area in Tipperary drive to Cork, Waterford, Limerick or Kilkenny. They are all an hour away from where I live. People drive every day. The cost of fuel has doubled for them in recent weeks. As a Government, we are trying to do something to help those people, and then, on the back of that, people try to exploit the generosity and support that has been given. It needs to be called out. It is shameful.

I ask the Leader, maybe after next week, to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to come before the Chamber to outline exactly what he plans to do for tillage farmers. I know he set up a national fodder and food security committee yesterday. He is talking about a multimillion euro package for farmers to encourage them to grow crops. I come from a tillage farm. My family have been tillage farmers for seven or eight generations. We have always been the forgotten side of farming in many ways. I welcome that people are being encouraged to grow more crops. However, if there are packages available for beef farmers and dairy farmers to turn some of their land into crops, that support and that package needs to be there for current tillage farmers who have been doing it for years and who have the capabilities and everything else to do it.

Tillage farmers are often forgotten about. They provide an essential service to this country. If supports are to be put in place, those supports need to be there for the people who have been doing it for years and years. Could we get the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his plans? There was total shock when that was announced a couple of days ago, and we must know how it will be done.

He needs to explain to the farmers exactly what supports are going to be there and what finance will be put behind it.