Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy is aware that we have serious concerns, with which he is in sympathy, regarding compulsory modulation. We are awaiting the outcome of a number of matters. We increased the REP scheme by 17%, which is considerable.

I am not stating it is particularly easy and we must consider a multifaceted approach. The bottom line is that the consumption of sheepmeat in Europe has decreased dramatically. The number of people under 45 years of age who consume sheepmeat has reduced to a huge degree. Even in countries where it is extremely popular, sheepmeat has become quite expensive, particularly in the context of the price farmers obtain for it.

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