Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I want to raise the controversial issue of the so-called active farmer. This was a point of major debate during the previous negotiations four or five years ago, and it may need to be redefined again. To follow on from Deputy Fitzmaurice's point, the productive farmer also needs to be protected and acknowledged into the future. We need to have productive farming and we have to accept that some farmers are going to be more productive than others for one reason or another. That also has to be acknowledged.