Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I welcome the Minister's response. It is one of those issues where we need a broad political consensus for the final outcome. I welcome the fact that the Minister is beginning to tie down the three options and is being specific about the second option. I also welcome his statement on payments and upper ceilings for larger farms. I acknowledge what the Minister is saying about potential capping and the need for further detail on that.

If Ireland is to go for the second option - I realise that it is early days in negotiations - and there is a basic rate envisaged in that for income support, how does the Minister envisage that this will work out in real terms?

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