Much has been said about the immediate problems facing the farming industry as a result of foot-and-mouth disease. Everyone acknowledges that both the BSE crisis and foot-and-mouth disease were largely the product of central Government's incompetence.

Dr Paisley highlighted the preventative measures taken in the United States and other countries to prepare for a possible outbreak. Nothing of the kind took place in the United Kingdom. When the outbreak first occurred, it was suggested that the priority of the Government was their electoral position, rather than a speedy and effective programme for dealing with the disease.

I want to talk about the long-term effects of this particular crisis on the farming industry in Northern Ireland. There are those in the United Kingdom who look on this outbreak as a mixed blessing. They see it as accelerating the EU policy that the UK, including Northern Ireland, is not to be designated as a food-producing area for Europe.

The extension eastwards of the EU will include countries like Hungary and Poland, large proportions of whose gross domestic products (GDP) are devoted to agriculture. Why should we bother producing food in the United Kingdom when it can be produced much more cheaply in other areas that will come into the EU?

There has been a policy to suggest that people should not be concerned about that, because farming products represent less than 1% of GDP. Foot-and-mouth disease has just accelerated a process that was already in the pipeline. Farmers in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom will be converted into custodians of the countryside, while food is produced more cheaply in other parts of the EU.

Now and in the recent past, the farming industry has benefited from subsidies and from some aspects of the common agricultural policy. People have been obsessed, to a degree, with exports. As agriculture forms a very large part of Northern Ireland's GDP, that was understandable, but is it not a short-term attitude to take when the strategic aim of the EU is not to include the UK as one of its major food-producing areas?

There are already political and other commentators writing in United Kingdom newspapers and asking why we should be excited about farming. What is the difference between the farmers and the miners? The miners, like the farmers at that time, were responsible for producing a relatively minor proportion of the GDP. We could buy coal more cheaply from Poland, the USA, South Africa and other places. They question why it should be any different for farming, given that food can be bought more cheaply from other places. Why should the farmers not fall into line with the programme designed for the United Kingdom within the EU? Under this programme, the UK is seen as a centre for tourism, entertainment and service industries but not for farming. That is why the farmer, in the future, is to be the custodian of the countryside.

The farming industry should look very carefully at the behaviour of central Government. The central Government do not care very much about how farming in Northern Ireland is affected because, although farming in Northern Ireland accounts for 6% of the GDP, it creates less than 1% in the UK. Although we are most acutely affected by the incompetence of central Government, the issue is not one that wrings the withers of many people on the mainland. It is important that our Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has a clear and unique programme for defending farming in Northern Ireland, because our industry is distinctly different from farming in any other part of the UK. Farming in Northern Ireland requires very special and effective treatment, if it is to be protected.

Rural Ulster is at the point of despair. Ulster farming is going through another crisis on top of BSE, the Agivey fire that decimated the pig industry and the various regulations imposed by the European Union. Only Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK rigorously and vigorously apply those regulations to farming, while the rest of Europe just seems to toddle along. They make the regulations, but, of course, they also break them. Northern Ireland sticks to those regulations.

There is a wide range of farming problems with major financial implications for the farming community. Workable solutions need to be found, and each solution has a financial implication. However, the finances available to the Chancellor of the Exchequer are very healthy, and a wise use of the multi-billion pound surplus that was announced recently by the Treasury will help the UK to recover from this calamity. Of course, that will happen only if the Treasury has the will to do it.

The short-term future of the industry depends on the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease. However, the medium-and long-term future of the industry will be assured only by the provision of a massive financial investment package for the defence of the industry. Consumers need to support local produce, and the proper labelling of Northern Ireland produce will help that. A fair price for the farmers' products would help, since there seems to be a large discrepancy between the amount paid to the farmer after his hard labour and the price paid by the housewife when she goes to the supermarket.

This morning, Dr Paisley mentioned the difficulties faced by the livestock markets. The Government ordered the closure of those markets, and staff had to be laid off. I have been sent copies of some of the rates bills that are still arriving on the premises, despite the fact that the doors of the businesses from which rates payment is being sought have been shut in accordance with the Government's order. What steps is the Minister of Finance and Personnel going to take to guide these businessmen, and what relief are they really going to get?

This morning I listened to the Minster's winding-up speech in which he told us about the problems with passing primary and secondary legislation. He said that there is no statutory basis for introducing the type of rates relief scheme that is being asked for and that there are difficulties with accelerated passage. I say to the Minister that where there is a will, there is a way. The sooner the Minister starts the programme, the sooner that help will become a reality to those who need it. Has the Minister of Finance and Personnel responded to the concerns that have been expressed about rates rises, some of which he and his Colleagues unfairly hiked?

Because they were ordered to close, will the rate demands for the premises be deferred until it is known for how long the premises will remain closed? The owners are paying rates, and they are getting demands for insurance. The Minister of Agriculture is holding up her hands to show that she does not know, and I accept that. However, the Minister can pass this question on to the Minister of Finance and Personnel.

Veterinary costs for animal movement licences should be the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. There is no use in saying that it is everyone's responsibility to beat the crisis when the debt-ridden farmers have no room to manoeuvre. I have consistently asked why there seems to be a different disinfecting policy at the border with the Irish Republic. Those travelling south are vigorously searched and go through a rigorous disinfectant process, but those coming from the South drive on into Northern Ireland.

Farmers who have had their stock wiped out by BSE and the cull are left with a considerable amount of costly meal worth several thousand pounds, but no account has been taken of that for compensation purposes. Those same farmers must lay off their workers. They are faced with the obligation to make redundancy payments, but they are told that they will not receive any compensation for this.

Other problems are also being faced. Pigs are overweight, because they have been kept on the farms. Nevertheless, when farmers take the pigs to the factory they will not get payment for the extra weight after the pigs come up to the specific demand weight, and, therefore, the farmers need compensation. The same applies to the animals that have been kept on farms for over 30 months and must be culled. There is a £200 differential. I would have expected a longer debate to get some answers to the problems that are faced by my constituents.

The issue is of grave concern to many people. It is important to inform people of how the disease came to the Province. The sheep were imported to be slaughtered but were not. Questions must be asked about how the sheep found their way to unsuspecting farms. If the handling of the sheep had been properly carried out and the papers that accompanied the animals checked off at their proper destination, I believe that the sheep would have been slaughtered at an abattoir, and Northern Ireland would not be in the situation that it is in today. We cannot relax our health standards - prevention is better than cure.

There have been four cases of the disease in the Province to date. What way has the episode impacted on Northern Ireland? If we are to legislate properly to control the disease, we must first make an accurate assessment of its effects. I have first-hand experience of them; two of the cases occurred in the Coagh area of my constituency of Mid Ulster. They are within several miles of my own farm, and it is still in a 10km zone.

Farmers in that area are in a state of shock over their loss of livelihood. Does anyone care? The days are long; farmers have no stock to feed or tend and no financial income. UK farmers are also in a state of bewilderment. Farmers now represent the largest occupational suicide group in Britain. Farmers do not benefit from a 35-hour week, nor do they have a minimum wage. Industry has long been deprived of protective legislation but not of red tape and bureaucracy. Farmers have been exploited at the gain of the supermarkets. Everybody likes exotic fruit from faraway places, but is health not more important? There is an old saying, "If you have your health, you are a millionaire". It is time we got our priorities right.

The personnel involved with farms and farm-associated enterprises are nervous wrecks; social events have been cancelled; fewer meals are being eaten in hotels; forest parks are closed; province-wide sporting fixtures have been cancelled; and the burning of cattle has done nothing to attract visitors. As Assembly Members we have a duty to give leadership during the crisis. We must provide whatever help we can to those worst affected by the situation. Compensation has been rightly awarded to those farmers who have seen their livelihood destroyed by the disease. What about the forgotten victims? What about the farmer who has sold all of his cattle to the abattoirs and the meat plants? He then finds that he cannot restock, because there are no livestock markets. Farmers need auction markets, and such markets are more hygienic than a lot of the places where farm sales are taking place.

What is to happen to my neighbouring farmer who has had all his animals culled and is left with a meal bill of over £5,000? Meal bills must be paid. Who will pay them? Will this farmer get compensation? I do not think so. According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development officials, no scheme exists to compensate farmers indirectly hit by foot-and-mouth disease. I call on central Government to provide a package to assist those people who have lost earnings from all types of farm business because of foot-and-mouth disease.

Thankfully, to date, the disease has been rapidly contained. The use of disinfectant mats, the spraying of vehicles and general caution have helped to do that. We need practical solutions to deal with the crisis. I want to see a change in the present policy concerning the movement of animals. I recognise the need for caution, but I also see the importance of getting animals out to pasture as soon as possible. I would support disease-free animals being moved to disease-free areas thirty days after the last outbreak.

The EU has closed all auction markets. That is a big problem. We need auction markets, and they should be reopened. There is only one way to achieve that, and that is for us to have a disease-free area. When that happens, auction markets will again open.

Serious animal welfare problems can be seen already, so we need to introduce an animal welfare movement scheme to alleviate this problem. Farmers are the stewards of the land, and Northern Ireland farmers are among the best in the world. The sooner the agriculture industry is revived, the better it will be for all dependent industries. I look forward to the day that the industry thrives again and the Province as a whole is better off.

I agree that the Executive have an important role to play in addressing the problems of farming and rural communities, as they have in all aspects of life. I am pleased that this fact is acknowledged in the motion from the Chairperson of the Agriculture Committee, Rev Ian Paisley. It would be nice if the two DUP Ministers would join their Colleagues on the Executive and help to deal with the problem. In time, perhaps they will.

The families directly affected by foot-and-mouth disease are a special case, and while they will receive compensation for their losses, it is freely accepted that the fall-out from such losses of stock, built up over many years, will have an impact for years to come. It has been suggested that some farmers may never recover, and had we still been living under direct rule, that would have been the case. However, with our Assembly we can do something, and the public expects us to.

Farmers need compensation for their loss of earnings. However, there must be a holistic approach to the economic needs of the rural community. There must be massive reinvestment, structured not simply to make up for the effects of foot-and-mouth disease but to regenerate the entire countryside.

It is often said that when the farming community catches a cold, the rural community gets flu. How much worse it is then when there is an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. It is at times like this that we begin to realise just how dependent our economy is on the farming community. The ripple effect is quite startling.

Foot-and-mouth disease has had a profound effect on mainstream tourism, as Sir Reg Empey and others have pointed out. However, very little has been said about the downturn in rural tourism. Rural tourism is fundamental to the economic regeneration of many communities and plays an increasing part in rural diversification. With the fall-off in visitors from abroad and the closure of visitor centres, forest parks and angling and equestrian centres, rural tourism has come to a virtual standstill. Shops in small towns, already reeling from the uncontrolled development of out-of-town shopping centres cannot afford to go through the economic slump that has been caused as a result of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. They are facing serious cash-flow problems.

It is only at a time like this that we realise just how many people are involved in a wide range of industries in rural communities dependent, to some degree, on farming. There are many cogs in the economic wheel, and they are all inter-dependent. Many of them have already been referred to, so I will not repeat what has been already said, but I support the pleas for help. Nothing good can come out of the foot-and-mouth outbreak other than perhaps a realisation that farming is much more important to the economic well-being of the community than has been previously thought.

We have heard often today of the interdependence of different segments of our economy. That is welcome. Out of this crisis there may come some good. For too long, we have not fully appreciated just how much we depend on each other. I have no doubt that the Executive will address that problem and do everything possible to obtain additional resources from Britain and from Europe. As time passes, the economy will recover. The farming ship can be refloated, provided everyone is rising on the tide of recovery together.

Perhaps the Agriculture Committee has not spent enough time discussing rural development per se, and that has been a mistake. We can now move forward with greater maturity and a sense of just how important the whole rural community is. Let us never forget that.

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the sterling work done by the Minister of Agriculture and her staff. Indeed, most people have behaved with honour and integrity during this crisis. I have to say with regret, however, that the scurrilous claim made by Rev Dr William McCrea - that animals affected by foot- and-mouth might be buried on the farm of the Donnelly family at Ardboe - was nothing short of an absolute scandal, for which he has still to apologise. Others also tried to make political capital out of this disaster, but surely that was the worst example. I hope that the Minister will have something to say about that. Let us hope that the Executive will support the Minister fully in the demands that she will be required to make for additional resources. I believe that they will do their best, and they have my support. I support the motion.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter. The social effects of foot-and-mouth disease on the farming community can be compared to those of the industrial revolution on England and other parts, because people who were farming prior to the foot-and-mouth outbreak will not be farming again. The social effect that that will have on those communities cannot be quantified at this time.

As Bob McCartney said, the bureaucrats in Brussels and elsewhere will be quite comfortable with the plight that the farming community finds itself in. They could not have legislated for the farming community in the way that this disease has. To them, foot-and-mouth disease, in decimating the farming community, particularly in this part of Ireland, takes a thorn out of their side. Those farmers who want to come back to farming will be coming back on Brussels' terms, and not on the criteria of local needs and local economic circumstances.

Many will be quite comfortable with the tragedy facing the farming community. I regret that we do not have the time that we should to debate this critical and tragic circumstance. We do not have much time to address all the issues that have been raised with us at local level. We do not have the opportunity to expand on the full effects that this is going to have on the lives of people in the farming community. I will touch on just a few elements.

The value of animals and the compensation being paid to farmers look good. People are talking about someone's getting £1 million. However, let us look at the replacement value of sheep and cattle. They are going to become a very scarce commodity in big demand. We all know the economic consequences of a scarce commodity and a high demand: the price of livestock will be driven up. Those who are paid £90 to £135 compensation for ewes today will not be able to replace them at that price. The same applies to cattle.

What about those farmers who have lost their dairy herds and do not have their creamery cheque coming in every week? If they want to re-engage in dairy farming, they will have to wait a long time for another creamery cheque. Indeed, they will have to wait a long time to be able to replace the herds that they have lost due to the foot-and-mouth plague.

There is also the question raised by some in the farming community of the delay in payments. In addition, there is the question of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety requiring some farmers to produce evidence of their earnings over the last 15 months. This compares unfavourably with the package for farmers in the rest of Ireland who lost their animals because of foot-and-mouth disease.

There are also concerns about the slaughter of healthy animals. However, we cannot discuss all these issues in the short time that is available to us. People in Moyle - an area that has the highest unemployment rate in the North of Ireland - have no means of earning a livelihood other than farming. They have earned their livelihood through farming for generations and are now unemployed with nowhere else to go for employment. They are suffering grievously. Compassion and charity ought to be extended to those in the farming community who are suffering rather than the concept of a witch-hunt.

The Member's time is up.

I support the motion, and I congratulate those responsible for bringing this very important motion to the Chamber today. This is one of the most important issues that have been debated in this Chamber since its establishment. Many farmers, as the wording of the motion reflects, have sacrificed much and are facing great hardship at this difficult time.

Boyd Douglas, my Colleague representing East Londonderry, focused on the issue that I was going to focus on in this debate - that of imported animals. As Members, and the Minister, will be aware, I represent the area where the foot-and-mouth outbreak first commenced in this country - the area of Meigh. There are many deep concerns in the south Armagh area, especially about the illegal movement of sheep and the money that has been wasted in past years because of that illegal movement. I want to know from the Minister what the Department and the Executive intend to do about the subsidy collectors. I do not call these people who have been wasting public money for years "farmers"; I call them "subsidy collectors". They have being acting illegally in south Armagh and across the country for years. What does the Department intend to do about these people?

What measures does the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have in place to deal with the issue of smuggling? This is an issue that the Public Accounts Committee is going to have to zoom in on closely, because money is being wasted. All the farmers in south Armagh are not carrying out this activity. I stress that. There are many decent farmers in south Armagh, from both sides of the community, who have been affected. The ridiculous behaviour and illegal activities of some people have put the brakes on this Province - not only on the agriculture industry but also on tourism and businesses across the country.

There are many questions that must be asked today. Indeed, they have already been asked by many Members. There were concerns in the Newry Divisional Veterinary Office in the middle of March that the numbers of sheep that were claimed for did not match the number of sheep that were being culled. I want the Minister to tell us exactly the number of sheep premium claims measured against the actual number of sheep culled. That is an issue that must be cleared up and that the Minister must address.

I am not saying that the Minister has been turning a blind eye to this, because she has been very critical of people who have been acting illegally in the south Armagh area. There have been concerns in that area since the cull commenced. A veterinary officer removed members of the grants and subsidy inspection unit in the Newry area from the cull site.

On a point of order, a leasCheann Comhairle. The motion states

I do not see how Mr Berry's contribution is adding to the debate.

Members should keep to the motion.

Hardship and stress have been caused by the illegal movement of sheep and the people in south Armagh that Sinn Féin/IRA are very close to. That is what I am addressing. There is anxiety in south Armagh and across the country because foot-and-mouth disease has entered the Province. It is because of the Republician movement in south Armagh that there is this anxiety - [Interruption]

Order. The motion asks for action to alleviate the difficulties as quickly and imaginatively as possible. Will the Member keep to this point?

I will continue with the points that I am raising, because they are very important. If the Department is not addressing these issues and if we, as Assembly Members, are not allowed to raise these serious issues that have occurred in south Armagh, then the last one leaving this Building can turn out the lights. There are serious issues here that must be addressed.

A veterinary officer removed the grants and subsidy division staff from the cull site in Newry, because fraud was being overlooked. Grants and subsidy division staff were inspecting vehicles that were going through and were finding inaccuracies and discrepancies in that smuggling was taking place in those vehicles. One individual was confronted on 2 April, and he was removed from the cull site-[Interruption]

Order.

On a point of order, a leasCheann Comhairle. There is no one running away from the debate. The Member has all the devices available to him in a private Member's motion or any other motion -[Interruption]

Order. During some of the contributions a number of Members have gone beyond the motion. I have given a wide berth, because there are so many other issues involved. I ask the Member to stay within the motion.

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is clear that farmers are in a position of hardship and are experiencing problems because individuals broke the law. There are prosecutions in place-[Interruption]

Order. My ruling is to stay with the motion as it stands and focus on the alleviation of the problems.

Public money has been wasted. We want to know what the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Executive intend to do about the issue of smuggling. The Sinn Féin/IRA spokesperson is annoyed because the truth is hurting.

I pay tribute to the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson and the members of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee for bringing the matter to the Assembly. I also add my tribute to the Minister and her officials and the various organisations involved at the sharp end of this crisis for the work that they are undertaking on behalf of everyone. It is unfortunate that we have so little time.

There is an historical context that others have mentioned. There were outbreaks in 1967 and 1865. I indulge the Minister and refer her to one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, Joel, who had much that is strangely relevant to say on this issue. I invite the Minister to look at that. The Chairperson of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee will no doubt be aware of it already.

I want to deal with the practical problems arising from this plague, its outbreak and spread, the containment measures that are being brought forward and the ongoing measures against it. The impact of this disease on the rural economy and the Northern Ireland economy in general has been profound, and in this morning's debate we heard of many of the problems being experienced by those who are affected by the consequential losses. All farmers and associated businesses expect and need the assistance of the Ministers, Executive and Members of this Assembly to lessen the impact and to give valuable help.

Like other Members, I welcome the easing of the restrictions announced recently by the Minister in relation to the movement of livestock. I join in the call of other Members for the Minister to confirm that private veterinary fees will be met in full either by her Department, by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or by the Treasury in London. Having spoken to many constituents and farmers affected by this plague, I know it is a very big issue, and I hope that the Minister will address it when she speaks later. I impress upon the Minister the need to ensure that urgently required measures of assistance are not impeded by red tape and that urgent consideration be given to the plight of those affected in all sectors.

I draw the Minister's particular attention and concern to the plight of the livestock marts and to the precarious position of their owners, operators and employees. We will look to the Minister today for an announcement of assistance to that particular sector.

I also impress upon the Minister the need for a multi- agency approach to this crisis. Helpline numbers and the various necessary contacts that will be available to deal with the social dimension of this particular crisis should be made known to the general public either by public advertisement or by media campaign. I hope that the Minister will be in a position to announce a major co-ordinated plan as part of the response to this crisis.

Time does not permit me to say much more except that everyone in Northern Ireland accepts the need for urgent help to be given to the agriculture industry.

Although some of us are city-based, all of us in this Assembly represent rural constituencies; indeed our whole ethos is based on the rural community. We know that the impact of foot-and-mouth disease will be felt not just this year but for many years to come in both the farming industry and its auxiliary industries.

I have no doubt that given the opportunity and appropriate assistance, our farming community is resilient enough to overcome this fresh disaster and re-establish itself as a primary industry in Northern Ireland with its products hailed throughout the world for their health and quality.

The motion asks the Executive to alleviate the difficulties of the farming community quickly and imaginatively. Members must confine themselves to that. It is tempting to look forward to what may happen in the future, but we are talking about what can happen today.

I represent a rural community, both highland and lowland, and on a day-to-day basis I see the trauma and difficulties faced by the farming community. It is up to the Assembly to give that community its total support. We must address two matters - regulation and finance. On the day-to-day basis of regulation, most farms - particularly the sheep farms on the highlands and the cattle housed over winter - have exhausted their winter fodder and the immediate grazing fodder that they were on before movements were restricted.

The Executive must not slavishly follow everything that happens in Great Britain. As the motion says, the Executive must be imaginative in how they approach these issues. Farms in Northern Ireland are different from those in Great Britain. Our farms are small and contiguous, but in many cases their fields are scattered. You do not get that in large parts of England. Therefore, the issue of movement is vital. Farmers are now destroying the land that was intended to provide fodder for the ensuing winter by overgrazing it - if destroying is the right word. There is an immediate projection of difficulty there.

In the few minutes allowed to me I can only highlight a couple of the things that we need to do. The intervention board - both here and in Great Britain - needs to extend its scope to compensate for the immediate welfare cull, and that should be done as soon as possible. Any assistance to the cash flow of farmers must be of immediate importance. Dr Paisley mentioned the rapid payment of premiums, and all other available and lawful subsidies should be paid on an urgent basis.

It is also important that a livestock welfare disposal scheme - as exists in England, Scotland and Wales - be established here. The scheme in Great Britain applies only to restricted areas. All of Northern Ireland is a restricted area at present, so this scheme could apply to the whole of Northern Ireland.

Many Members have mentioned the veterinary fees incurred in obtaining movement licences. There are many farms in my area that have bits and pieces of land and scattered fields. If those farmers were to fulfil their total movement they would be paying six, seven or eight times the fee of £30, depending on how many dispersed fields they have. It is important that something be done to alleviate that.

The financial cost of the disaster is not the greatest issue; there is also an emotive issue. Farmers resent having to pay for the implementation of regulations that were imposed on them on top of the other difficulties. The use of serology testing, particularly in sheep, may enable movements to be expanded. The farming community will need some pump-priming in the immediate future to tide it over the summer and into the winter feed.

I congratulate the Minister on her sterling work to date.

The debate has covered almost every issue around foot-and-mouth disease. Rather than repeat many of the points, I will ask the Minister to address four areas of real concern to farmers, particularly in south Down.

Is the Minister in a position to make any announcement about the payment of vet bills? I feel sorry for vets in rural areas. They are worked off their feet, but the last thing that farmers need is to find that they have to pay bills for inspections before animals can be moved. I understand that there is provision elsewhere for these to be paid by the Department. It would be a gesture of goodwill to the farming community if the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development were to pick up the bills, as it is no fault of the farmers that they are incurring these expenses.

Secondly, when will movements of sheep be permitted? In many parts of south Down the relaxation of the rules which were announced last week to enabled cattle to be moved is not producing any benefits for two reasons. First, in many cases a farmer only has sheep. Secondly, it is proving almost impossible for farmers to find land that does not have sheep grazing on it or has not been grazed by sheep in the past 14 days. This morning I received a telephone call from a very concerned farmer saying that he has searched everywhere but cannot find any land which has not had sheep grazing on it recently or does not have sheep just across the ditch. When will that ban be relaxed?

I would like the Minister to address something that was suggested to me by the Rathfriland Farmers Co-Operative Society Limited. At present farmers are being forced to take small numbers of lambs to meat plants in Londonderry and Coleraine. One farmer had to drive to Coleraine with only eight lambs in his trailer. That almost wipes out any possible profit on the transaction, given the very low prices that farmers are getting for lambs. The Rathfriland Co-Op suggested - and this is a very good idea - that marts should be used as central points to which farmers could bring their lambs. A large trailer containing up to 300 lambs could then be taken to Londonderry for the lambs to be processed. That would be a way of getting the marts back into some form of activity. It would also be a way of alleviating the problem of the meat plant in Lurgan that is taking very small numbers of lambs. Farmers from Rathfriland and Kilkeel are driving over 100 miles to sell small numbers of livestock, which is totally uneconomical.

Finally - and this is directly related to foot-and-mouth disease, Madam Deputy Speaker - what has happened to the proposal for compensation for the sheep grazing ban in the inner Mournes? It has reached a complete stop because of foot-and-mouth disease. I fully understand that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been preoccupied with this vital issue, but farmers in the Mournes have subsidy application forms which must be filled in by the middle of this month. However, no decision has been made on discussions between the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Minister for Regional Development on what will be done to compensate those farmers or at least enable them to put the lambs that they regularly graze in the inner Mournes onto their farms. If the Minister comes to some conclusion that will enable hard-pressed farmers to include that land on their claim forms, she will help them greatly.

South Down is one of the most badly affected areas because of the nature of farming. Some farmers are one step away from bankruptcy. I have heard some of the most appalling stories from farmers over the last few weeks. I have had to put some of them in touch with charitable foundations in England, and they have had to ring up and plead for money to pay the most basic of household bills such as the telephone bill or the heating oil bill.

Unless we do something positive to help farmers out of this difficult situation, which is absolutely no fault of their own, I will be really fearful about the future of many of those small units which were practically on their knees before this crisis ever arose. They are facing a dreadful prospect. If a survey were carried out in Northern Ireland, the results would be the same as those in England. Many farmers see this as the straw that will break the camel's back. The situation is desperate, and they are looking to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to do something to alleviate it.

I am indebted to Dr Paisley for tabling the motion today and to all the Members who spoke to it and demonstrated their commitment to the rural community.

Since taking up my post as Agriculture Minister I have been deeply impressed by the resilience of our farmers who seem to have suffered one body blow after another over the last few years. It has been my privilege to meet with many groups of farmers in many different circumstances, and I have never failed to be impressed by their fortitude and courtesy.

Today's motion recognises

Nobody, inside or outside Northern Ireland, or in this Chamber today would disagree with that description of what the Northern Ireland farmers have had to contend with. Foot-and-mouth disease is merely the latest in a long line of what I have called "body blows". An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is a terrible thing at the best of times, but this time it has come on top of BSE, a very strong pound - with all that that entails in relation to foreign competition - and a succession of animal health problems and food scares. The foot-and-mouth disease situation is therefore all the more difficult to deal with.

As the motion recognises, the problems go beyond the farmer or the farmgate. I am acutely conscious of the impact of recent events, not just on the farmers but on the wider community. That problem is the responsibility of other Ministers and the Executive collectively, and it was addressed in this morning's debate. For that reason I must confine my remarks to the impact of foot-and- mouth disease on the agriculture industry alone.

It is important to remember that today we are discussing the impact of foot-and-mouth disease, rather than the cumulative financial effects of all the crises I mentioned. The farm incomes of most Northern Ireland farmers are currently very depressed, but that is mainly the result of factors other than foot-and-mouth disease.

There are two classes of loss arising from foot- and-mouth disease. One relates to livestock which my Department has caused to be slaughtered as a disease- control measure. The position on that is clear - the Department pays the full market value of such animals. The problem arises with the second category - consequential loss. This can include anything from, at one end of the spectrum, the loss of a farmer's income while the farm is depopulated to, at the other end, the loss of schoolchildren's deposits paid for school trips to the country which have had to be cancelled. Specific issues affect the livestock marts which have now been closed for many weeks, first at the behest of the Government and, subsequently, at that of the European Union. The situation of these marts represents a particular problem.

As I have said on numerous occasions in this Assembly, the financial repercussions of meeting the costs of consequential losses would be enormous. Even if the Government make just a slight move in that direction, we will come under immense pressure to go the whole way. For that reason it is not current UK Government policy to pay compensation for consequential losses. If that changes, however, Members can rest assured that I will press for the necessary additional funding to be made available to Northern Ireland to allow us to make similar payments.

The other constraint on me, as Minister of Agriculture, is the need to comply with EU law on the provision of cash aid to farmers. I have to obtain EU state aids approval before I grant any cash aid to Northern Ireland farmers. Obtaining that approval takes time, and all the evidence suggests that Brussels requires considerable convincing that such aid is justified and that it does not distort the market. As Agriculture Minister, I find that my freedom to act quickly and imaginatively is therefore perhaps more narrow than some Members might imagine.

Time does not permit me to reply to all the detailed points made in the debate, and I apologise in advance. I will, however, try to cover as many as possible. Dr Paisley made many points about the impact of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, and with hindsight I agree with many of them. He referred to the livestock marts, and, as I have already said, I have particular sympathy for their owners. I will do what I can to help them. I understand that the Minister of Finance and Personnel referred to this matter in this morning's debate.

As far as movement controls are concerned, I cannot promise an early further easing of controls, since my priority is the prevention of disease. The earlier easements of movement restrictions were abused, and the foot- and-mouth virus has now spread to the sheep flock. My primary objective is to eradicate the disease. Farmers must decide which option is preferable - total easement of movement with the risk of spreading the disease, or to wait until we are sure we are on top of it. I would, however, urge people with particular and extreme welfare problems to contact their local divisional veterinary office.

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