Mr. John Bryan:

I want to clarify a point for Deputy Ó Cuív. Farmers do not think they get the single farm payment for doing nothing. They know that the European taxpayer expects production. Perhaps the people in the Deputy's area do not know that. He should check the Teagasc profit monitors. As I said earlier, subsidies account for more than 50% of gross output, on average, and between 141% and 177% of income on dry stock and sheep farms. It is clear that 90% of people who feed cattle lose some money on it every year. They accept that it is part of the contract. Deputy Ó Cuív should try to read what the Common Agricultural Policy says about production.