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

When we come to supports for farmers, including this year when we had the one-off support for the fodder scheme, it would be useful if we had the figures for what will be given to farmers next year at both EU and national level compared with what was given this year, as well as a list of the EU programme of single payments. It is very relevant to compare this year's single payment with next year's payment, because it is going to be down. That will give us a total picture of how the farmer is going to see it, because he does not care where the money comes from. What is the Common Agricultural Policy going to be next year with a no policy change compared with this year, and how much of that will be EU and how much will be national? Then there is disadvantaged areas scheme, DAS, and the national programmes that are solely funded out of the Exchequer. If we could see all of that, we could make the hard choices and at least tell the Minister what we think should be done and where the focus should be, and we could be realistic about the figures. He indicated that there might be a certain amount that he can negotiate, but that it is not without limit.

If the Minister gets the same money next year as last, because of the decrease in EU funding, farmers are going to get less funding than they got this year, as we will be in the new CAP and the 3% is going to kick in.