“I have been a farmer all my life and I understand very well what farmers are going through and have gone through since June 16th last, when it started raining first,” said Deputy Danny Healy Rae in Dáil Éireann recently.
“This €100 per hectare is €40 per acre for grain, God almighty, €40 an acre would not bring home one bag of messages.
“Farmers are being blamed for everything. Farmers are providing food, and if we do not produce it, others will and we will be importing it,” he continued.
Sustainable Food, Milk and Beef
“Farmers in Ireland produce sustainable food, milk and beef from green grass.
“It’s sad to see deputies in the chamber blaming the farmers for the weather. God almighty, we have only to look at history.
“In the 1740s we had two years of incessant rain where a third of our population died because they starved and many of our animals died at that time as well.
What About 1847, 1883 and 1886 ?
“Then there were years like 1847, 1883 and 1886, and there were fewer diesel engines then.
“There were no diesel engines in the 1740s. I know the Green Party is making the government do this but getting us to pay carbon tax will not settle the weather.
“I am asking the government to pay all the outstanding payments to the farmers and give them €100 of a subsidy or voucher towards buying grain feed. That would be something to do for them,” Deputy Healy Rae appealed.
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on… Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.
