Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am not making an attack on the Minister with regard to this. Our questions are designed to probe whether we are seeking the best outcome for this country. There are a number of other things we must protect. We must protect the number of small family farms in this country. There is a great deal of spin about this at present. There is substantial support in the west and north west for greater movement and a fairer distribution of payments within that. Most small farmers would favour a more rapid move towards a fairer system than is contained in the Minister's proposals. In 2011, 2,047 farmers on payments of €50,000 and more received more in total than the 52,000 farmers who received a single farm payment of €5,000. There is a patent imbalance there.

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