Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

The Fianna Fáil 2007 general election manifesto promised €27.5 million for the sheep industry to tackle the type of issues specifically identified in the Malone report, particularly the issue of the alarming decline in the number of breeding ewes in the country. That would have been the correct strategic decision to make. While I accept that the €7 million available is nowhere near adequate, it would have sent the type of message necessary to stabilise sheep numbers and give some indication that, for example, in 2010, as the French Minister for Agriculture has already done, the unspent CAP funds in 2010 would be targeted in that direction also. Would the Minister not accept even at this late stage that he should send a signal to the industry that there will be a reward in 2010 for maintaining the number of breeding ewes on any farm and that that reward will be the ring-fencing of unspent CAP funds, which will in 2010 be in the region of €29 million to farmers who will maintain their breeding ewe numbers for that season?

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