Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

My Department has now agreed with farming representatives to make a payment of €40 per head for each ewe taken off the hills for the five-month period. We are also making a once-off payment of €2,000 to each existing REPS farmer in respect of de-stocking. A contract was entered into with REPS farmers which obliged them to de-stock at a particular level. They are now being asked to remove all of their ewes from the hills, so it is only right that they would receive extra compensation.

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