The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, has answered sustained criticism of his response to the fodder crisis by confirming that a new aid scheme for farmers will be announced "within days".
Speaking to the all-party committee on agriculture, food and the marine yesterday, Mr Walsh defended the approach taken by his Department.
More than 50,000 farmers had received extra aid totalling £21 million in response to problems which first surfaced in August, he said.
There was "acknowledgment all along the line of the severe difficulties with poor prices compounded by bad weather."
The latest Teagasc survey conducted this month, he said, confirmed fodder shortages of between 20 and 50 per cent in counties Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Clare, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Longford, Kerry, parts of Cork, Limerick west and in "limited parts" of Laois and Tipperary.
He would be meeting the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, to negotiate a new scheme, he said. "Negotiations will be treated with a great deal of urgency. It is obvious farmers need help now."
The aim of the previous scheme was to get money to farmers as quickly as possible. The alternative was to advertise for applicants and then inspect farms, but that would take months.
The Minister for Social Welfare was also being asked to expedite the introduction of a new Farm Assist Scheme.
Mr Paul Connaughton TD (FG) said farmers were incensed at the way people were chosen for special aid measures last year. The current reality was that they were facing a trebling of fodder prices.
Many could not afford to buy compound feeds and their plight might not ease until the start of the growing season in 90 days' time.
