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

I will be very brief with the rest of my questions. Does the Minister intend to relax the stocking rules under the disadvantaged areas scheme? As he knows, there is a seven-month period in which minimum stocking must be made. What are the Minister's plans to ensure adequate markets for cattle and sheep this year and in particular for store cattle and light mountain lambs? These would be particularly difficult to market because farmers will not be in the business of buying lambs for grazing. I have a final question in addition to the other two or three which the Minister did not answer. The Minister for Social Protection could come up with €10 million to add one week to the free fuel scheme and she does not seem to have had any difficulty in getting approval from the Government. In the interest of both animal welfare and farmer welfare, will the Minister get approval from the Government for the reintroduction of the suckler welfare scheme this year on a once-off emergency basis?

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