Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What I am saying is that when the headage payments and other schemes were abolished, farmers received the disadvantaged area scheme payment. The idea behind that payment is to compensate those for farming poor land and the poorest land in the country is mountain land. Therefore, I introduced a rate of payment that was higher for mountain land than land in severely disadvantaged or less favoured areas. I again put the question and ask for a simple "yes" or "no" answer. Will cattle farmers who are actively farming mountain land receive the top-up payment or will it be confined only to sheep farmers who account for a minority of farmers in mountain areas? Will the Minister give me a "yes" or "no" answer because I have submitted a few questions for written reply on this issue, but have not been able to get an answer from him? Will a farmer with five cows and so on be paid at the same rate as a neighbouring sheep farmer?

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