Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

The special situation of Ireland, including circumstances such as bad weather, referred to earlier, were fully taken into account and were obviously a significant factor in achieving the exceptional extension.

I and my predecessor have consistently stressed to farmers the need to meet the deadline. In recent weeks the Department wrote to every applicant outlining the possibility of completing discrete units of work so that people who did not wish to complete the entire project as originally envisaged could complete parts of the project and receive grant aid for that work.

Deputy Tom Sheahan suggested that Department officials dealt with representations on the basis of the political source from which they came. I presume he does not want that allegation to remain on the record. I am sure he would not cast political aspersions on the work of individuals. That is not the way the officials in the Department work.

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