Farm hardship funding call rejected in Dáil

Calls for hardship funding for farmers were rejected on Tuesday in the Dáil, with Minister of State Sean Sherlock speaking on behalf of Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, and urging farmers to contact their local Teagasc advisers, to alleviate the problems on farms.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív of Fianna Fáil asked the Minister to allocate €10m for an emergency fodder scheme for farmers in severe financial difficulty.

Deputy Jim Daly, Fine Gael, called for establishment of a hardship fund to be distributed by the co-ops.