Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response but I have to say I am disappointed with it. I note from his script that it is intended to bring in new regulations to cover the three instalment payments. I put it to the Minister, on the basis of the figures I have seen on a number of individual farms in various circumstances, that a three-year period will be simply inadequate for them. I ask him to go back and see if it is possible, at a minimum in the extreme cases, to get a much longer period for these repayments. If he can achieve this, he will do a very good service for a number of progressive, hard-working and expanding dairy farmers in this country. It would be a good day's work for the future of the dairy industry. This problem is not confined to the north east, it is found across the country. While the number of individual cases is not huge, I am aware of people who are concerned that this will push them over the cliff. If that happens, it will do a great disservice to the industry as a whole.

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