Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

This earlier payment will be of considerable assistance to farmers in my constituency in Wexford and will be a welcome boost to their cash flow at this time of the year.

This week's budget again showed that the Government is committed to the development of agriculture and the Minister, Deputy Smith, should be congratulated on a number of initiatives he has taken in the budget. I particularly welcome the decision to increase the investment in REPS to €355 million. This will not only increase the grant aid payable under REPS 4 by 17% but will also allow the scheme to accept new entrants. I also welcome the Minister's decision to extend the farmer's stock relief, the farm pollution control relief and the stamp duty relief for farm consolidation for a further two years and the stamp duty relief for young trained farmers for an extra four years.

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