Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand those points. I was in Kerry a couple of days ago to speak to more than 300 farmers in Listowel to outline our approach to both pillars of the CAP. We had a constructive meeting.

I know Kerry and parts of west Cork were hit hardest by rainfall over the summer. Farm schemes are more important in years like this when they help to get farmers through difficulties caused by circumstances outside their control, like the weather. It is important, however, to balance what the Deputy said about single farm payments with pillar 2 payments. The vast majority of farmers in Kerry receive a disadvantaged area payment while the majority in Cork do not, under pillar 2. There are various ways to support farmers in terms of income supports. People must look at the full picture instead of drawing conclusions only from the single farm payment.

Having said that, there is still a major difference in the single farm payment between and even within counties. Some of the best farms in the country and some of the most challenging farming conditions exist in Kerry. That is why we propose to redistribute money under the single farm payment, but how far do we go? Do we bring everyone to an average in the one go or do we move everyone towards an average payment with a significant level of redistribution? My concern is that if we do it too quickly or extensively, we will put some very productive farmers out of business and that is not in anyone's interest because we must keep herd numbers up to retain employment in the agricultural sector in factories, marts and dairy processing plants. We must look at the broader picture and not just the money that will be given out into farmers' hands.

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