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

Small farmers are being looked after under Pillar 2, but they have to apply to participate in the schemes. We deliberately designed this scheme in favour of small farmers. That is why for the first ten animals a farmer receives nearly €100 per head. The figure is €80 per head after this. We deliberately tilted the scheme in favour of small farmers for the very reasons about which the Deputy is talking, unlike his approach to the suckler cow welfare scheme which did not deliberately discriminate in favour of those with small holdings. To be exact, in per hectare terms, it results in a payment of €142.50 on the first 6.6 ha compared to €120 thereafter. We are deliberately saying to farmers with smaller herds that we want to give them more money for their first ten animals, after which everybody receives €80.

In terms of the breakdown, I want to put the record straight because the Deputy constantly tries to paint me as someone who only looks after the big guy. If he considers the facts in terms of what we have done, he knows that that is inaccurate.

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