Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy has described the issue regarding the Irish Farmers Journal incorrectly, since the Commissioner was asked about the question before I had approached her — interviews often take place before conversations. Second, she was not here, and that interview took place in Brussels. I have met the Commissioner three times on the issue and departmental officials have met at secretary general and director general levels, as well as within the Cabinet. I have met all the farming organisations on this issue, some of them twice, if not three times.

The Deputy is right that something must be done, both for reasons of equity and because, as the former Commissioner said to the former Minister, there should be no disadvantageous decisions as a consequence of the transformation to a decoupled system. Those are the very strong points of view that I have put forward to the Commissioner and the Commission, and that has been followed through in several examples of its impact on farmers, many of whom, to be fair, have not changed much their production or methods. There are others who have done otherwise, as we all know.

The Deputy will also know that the people on the second punch are being penalised because the scheme is an overall one between the first and second punches. In addition, many farmers did not castrate their animals this year because they were entitled to the bull premium. It is a very serious issue in my constituency and, I am sure, in County Roscommon, where there is a great deal of beef production. There is a 28% reduction on first-age premium animals and 23% on second-age animals. That is a very large differential. The Deputy is correct to point out that if decoupling did not occur, then we would not have this problem. On that basis, I have made strong representations to the Commission on this issue. This does not affect anyone under 25 and I have paid the money thus far to those over 25. The Deputy should check out a copy of the Irish Farmers' Journal the following week where the Minister clarified this.

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