Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I asked the Minister whether the provision of €20 million for the World Food Programme meant that we would not have to provide €20 million for the programme next year. I would also like him to clarify specifically that no direct payments to the banks to cover the cost of the reduced interest rate will be made from the €24 million being provided for the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland fund. In addition, will he clarify clearly the restraints imposed on the tillage sector by the de minimis rules? How much leeway is available to the sector? Is it available to the sector as a whole? Are there limits to the support that can be given to each individual tillage farmer? I understand the Minister's point about resources, but I remind him that €20 million which was due to be paid to the World Food Programme next year is now to be paid this year. My guess is that this €20 million will not have to come out of next year's budget. I suggest it could potentially have been used this year to support the tillage sector. Will the Minister crystallise exactly what the de minimisrule restraints are in this regard? Why is flexibility not being shown on a crisis fund specifically dedicated towards farmers who have lost crops?

Why could the Minister not have used some of the €20 million this year to support those farmers who were in an awful financial way as a result of the year they had?