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

We have taken every opportunity we can to support the sheep sector. We will do that through targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS and single farm payments in terms of redistribution, where sheep farmers are the big winners. We also did it when we decoupled and added to a sheep farmer's single farm payment what he would previously have been getting under the sheep grassland scheme.

Deputy Ó Cuív knows what the rural development programme, RDP, looks like now. He also knows that if we are going to change or introduce a new scheme that has not been provided for in it, we would need formally to change the RDP with the Commission. That takes time. There is no plan to introduce a separate headage payment type scheme, which seems to be what the Deputy is looking for. If he was in my position he would not be able to do it either.

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