Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

The points are well made by the Deputy, particularly on the importance of the Food Harvest 2020 report, which was drawn up by the stakeholders and endorsed by Government. The high level implementation group that I chair includes an Assistant Secretary General from the Department of Finance and the Department of Finance was also involved in the drafting of the report. My own colleagues in Fianna Fáil have outlined the importance of these issues at party meetings. The importance and value of these taxation measures to individual farmers has been conveyed to the Minister for Finance, as happens at this time every year.

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