Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are quite a number of points I want to speak on so I will be as quick as possible. There was a 13.5% reduction in agri-environmental schemes. Did people leave existing schemes early? Were increased penalties applied? How did this happen? I am fairly surprised that savings of 1% accrued on areas of natural constraint, ANC, given that the payment rate has been static. Why was there a failure to expend all of this?