Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Mr. Conroy said, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform is administering this. That was my first question. How much of the €1.015 will actually be spent? We all hope that no money is sent back given that it is available and needed.

We have had many meetings with representatives from the sheep sector. They made strong arguments on how Brexit had affected the sector.

Yet we were told it did not qualify for the BAR fund. Will Mr. Conroy give the committee an explanation as to why? All the arguments, or any evidence the committee received, were very convincing that the sheep sector was one that was very dependent on the UK market. With the UK market opening up to New Zealand and Australia, a clear correlation can be seen as to how Brexit would affect the sheep trade going forward and yet it did not qualify. Mr. Conroy might give the committee an explanation on that one.

The initial impact of Brexit and sterling affected the mushroom sector. It got a dig-out at the time which got it back up and running. While there might be some ongoing funding and payments there, it is not an ongoing scheme. It was to get it over the initial hump or speed ramp. The beef schemes mentioned are now accepted as a necessity in terms of the income of beef or suckler farmers. When this the BAR funding is signed, sealed and delivered and there is no more and we move on, is there provision for those schemes to be funded and carry on or will those beef farmers face a cliff edge? It would be similar in fisheries. The potato one was more for plant and machinery, which is there now. It was not an ongoing payment.

I would be very fearful for the beef sector. If the schemes mentioned are funded by the BAR fund at the moment, is there provision going forward so that they will be able to continue? Will they be funded by the Exchequer or are those schemes and those farmers who are recipients of that money facing a cliff edge once they finish? Sin é for now.