There will be no meal vouchers, no early rollout of low-interest loans and no halt to farm inspections in response to the fodder crisis.

Describing it as a “short-term difficulty”, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed ruled out many of the measures proposed in a highly charged Oireachtas debate as costs escalate on farms. The continuing wet weather is costing suckler and dairy farmers over €60m per week. The weekly cost of meal, fodder and lost output is estimated at €35 and €23 per cow, respectively.

Disease pressure and vet bills are mounting, with warmer, damp weather hard on calves and lambs. No spring planting has yet taken place. Grass is growing in many areas, but land remains too wet to carry stock.

Creed has made adjustments to the Fodder Transport Scheme, a number of concessions on GLAS and is seeking a derogation on the three-crop rule.

However, Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue criticised his efforts as “scrambling”.

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