Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for outlining where we stand. In terms of how the available money is distributed, it is important that the committee is not presented with a fait accompli but is engaged throughout the process. The Minister stated that he did not want any dramatic shock. The first day this issue was discussed, I stated that the changes should be introduced over time. There have been dramatic shocks for farmers in the past five years while we and the Minister were in government. For many farmers, rural environment protection scheme, REPS, payments exceeded the single farm payment and the disadvantaged area payment combined. When it came to an abrupt end and was replaced by the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, many people could not access any scheme, resulting in a significant loss to farmers in every county who had been receiving substantial REPS payments. The idea that there have been no shocks is not borne out by reality.