Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Deputy Tom Hayes on his appointment as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. He has first-hand, on-the-ground experience of farming issues and I have no doubt he will carry out his duties with distinction. We are here to discuss the budget and it is important to state the major challenges Ministers were presented with in preparing this budget that required a further €2.5 billion adjustment against the backdrop that we are borrowing €1 billion per month to run the country.

As a Deputy who represents the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan and lives on a farm I am very pleased that this budget reaffirms and supports the key role agriculture has in our economic recovery. This budget, as the farmers would say, has done no harm to the industry. The farming organisations should be satisfied that all of the main schemes for farmers remain in place and I commend the farming organisations on taking the time to meet their public representatives and put their case forward. The farmers are probably one of the best lobby organisations in the country.

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