Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commend my party colleague and recently appointed spokesman on agriculture, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, on bringing forward this motion. It is a timely debate, which coincided with the march by 20,000 farmers in this city yesterday, whose purpose is to emphasise the importance of the agricultural sector to our economy and to highlight the challenges facing farmers in this country. The outcome of the CAP budget negotiations will have a crucial impact in the coming years on the viability of many family farms throughout the State. I acknowledge the work done by the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, and the Minister of State, Deputy Shane McEntee, in this regard. Their commitment to the sector is clear and their efforts clearly genuine.

They have, however, failed to live up to their promises in several areas. I refer in particular to the delay in the announcement of a replacement scheme for the agri-environment options scheme. It is disappointing, moreover, that the number of places under the new scheme has been capped at 6,000 and the allowance itself capped at €4,000. This does not offer the replacement that is required to the 13,000 farmers coming out of the REP scheme this year.

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