Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I acknowledge the Minister's response, in which he referred to the importance of the scheme. Given that more than 50,000 farmers participate in the scheme while 32,000 have participated in Teagasc training and the budget is approximately €250 million, would the Minister not consider increasing the payment from €40 to €60 per head in the coming year because of the difficulties faced by farmers due to recent adverse weather conditions and the state of the market? Farmers have a deep commitment to the scheme but given the reduction in their incomes, an increase in this payment next year would provide a major buttress against loss of earnings in the current climate.

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