Ms Deirdre Fay:

I can take that question. The horticulture crisis fund scheme, which is now open for applications, targets growers whose viability is compromised. At the spring meeting of the horticulture industry forum, HIF, the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, asked growers to supply evidence of the viability of their businesses. When the analysis was done on that evidence base, it indicated the growers whose economic viability was compromised and those who were showing a profit. The pot of money available for the horticulture crisis fund is a finite amount and we really had to target the growers whose economic viability was compromised.