John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am glad to put on the record my support for this motion. Having attended many meetings since the announcement of the budget and having listened at length to the cry for help from our farming community, it is imperative that their plight be listened to and acted upon by the Minister. To remove the support systems for our young farmers when they are needed more than ever in the history of the State is an incredible and insensitive decision. The Minister tells us they are merely suspended and will be restored in better times. It is now they are needed.

The young farmer's installation aid would provide ready-made jobs for our young people in rural areas if they had the support of the €1,500 grant. Not only was the scheme axed but applicants, who had almost finalised the process and fulfilled all the requirements, found themselves dramatically cut off at 5 p.m. on the evening of the budget. We hear every day of jobs being lost throughout the country. Farming is the one industry that has withstood downturn after downturn over the years but it needs the Minister's help now. The average number of applications for this scheme is 800 per annum at a cost of €7 million or €8,750 per young farmer. The rest of the cost would be met by Europe. I suggest to the Minister that these 800 jobs would come at a much cheaper cost to the country than the millions paid to attract industrial employment.

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