Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

What I stated to the House — I may have stated it twice — is that in 2007 the rate of payment was increased by 8%, and that rate of payment was continued in 2008. Obviously, that payment is continuing for all eligible applicants in next year's scheme. That 8% increase in payment is being continued. As the Deputy is aware, there is now a cut-off point of 34 hectares for payments, which was introduced due to budgetary constraints. The disadvantaged and severely handicapped areas are familiar to me. I am fully aware of the type of farming carried on there, the difficult terrain and so forth. This was one decision I was very reluctant to take but if I did not reduce expenditure in this area, some other worthy scheme would have had to suffer.

See this speech in context