Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This issue exercises everyone in the midlands, not just sheep farmers. The chairperson, Mr. Eunan Bannon, is exercised by it. Does it not boil down to devising an appropriate mechanism for delivering the equivalent of the grasslands scheme to sheep farmers, thereby ensuring the scheme will not be subsumed by the new single farm payment scheme? Perhaps I am misreading, but must an additional €3.5 million or €4 million be found or will the €14 million be subsumed into the new system? The original figure was €18 million. It is critical that the money be made available.

I support the concept, as many sheep farmers would suffer under the proposed system, which is off the wall. I hope that a proper system can be devised that reflects this important sector. Sheep numbers can drop quickly. The midlands have suffered severe reversals. Sheep numbers were important to mixed enterprises.

This boils down to a question of money. Will the €3.5 million or €4 million be additional and will the €14 million be maintained but subsumed? The IFA wants it to be separate and topped up by €3.5 million before a system is devised to ensure the payment continues without being impacted in the way Mr. Kinsella described.