Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

We all know there is an economic crisis but the farming community is more than willing to carry its fair share of the burden and make its fair share of payments. With regard to the rest of the population, we had a wage agreement several weeks ago, and many hundreds of thousands of people will get 6% in pay increases over the next two years but the only bloc of people who will not get 6% extra — they will have 6%, 10% or 12% in a reduction — is the farming and agricultural community. They are the backbone of the country.

I come from a county which has lost 12,000 industrial jobs in the recent years. The tourism industry is at a low ebb and the fishing industry is almost non-existent. I need not go into the problems of the construction industry. We depend on farming and agriculture more than ever before, yet the people are being treated in this way in this budget. The budget allowed the Minister of Finance and the Government to put their fists into the pocket of every farmer and take out thousands of euro. The more disadvantaged the area, the more the Government took from the farmer.

Installation aid was introduced by a former colleague, Austin Deasy, way back in 1983 and 1984. Even during the dark days of economic crisis in the 1980s and 1990s, the scheme was always maintained. It was very progressive and enabled new blood to come in to energise agriculture, increase production and supply food and income for many people. The same applied to the retirement scheme.

I know I am short of time. I appeal to the Minister — who is from the north west and understands the west of Ireland — to consider, as has been articulated by my colleagues, the serious crisis facing the hill sheep farmers. If he does nothing else, will the Minister please pay them the premium before the week is out?

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