Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

No Minister could take any pleasure from having to reduce payments to farmers or suspend various schemes but difficult times demand difficult decisions. What the Opposition will not acknowledge is that our Department will still be supporting farming with €3.26 million next year. Unsurprisingly, not one Opposition Deputy referred to the fact that spending on REPS is increasing by 7% next year to a record €355 million, with payments to new entrants and those transferring to REPS 4 increasing by 17%.

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