Mr. Brian Rushe:

The IFA has been quite clear that it pushed for a policy at one time of upward-only convergence. That is the problem with this CAP policy. It was hugely divisive around the country. At times it was presented as being regionally divisive as in the south and the midlands losing and the west was gaining. That is the way it was put forward. It is not. It is in every parish and every county and every townland. In our meetings, it was the part-time farmer, doing a good job at home, working hard off the farm as well, who had a high payment per hectare who was going to be hammered with convergence. They were the farmers who were raising the biggest issues with us around the country, regardless of where it was. I totally get the Deputy's point in terms of those farmers on low payments per hectare and how they will gain from convergence. I understand that but how is that farmer who is going to be hit on convergence going to replace that income loss? If you look at the issues at ACRES----