Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

They have. I appreciate that. The beef industry has asked for compensation of €200 million for suckler cows. There is no shortage of people asking for help. We have to be realistic about what the State can afford. I appreciate the difficulties that are being faced in this sector. I do not believe the response to the myriad of issues being faced in the sector has been bad. While these are very challenging times for the tillage sector, I emphasise that we have implemented some measures. When the Deputy asked when the loan scheme will be up and running, he referred to media coverage suggesting that it might not happen until April or May. The chief executive of the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, Nick Ashmore, gave an update on the scheme to the participants in a recent beef forum meeting. He indicated that the corporation is operating to a January 2017 deadline. The Deputy also asked whether normal terms of lending will apply. Surely he is not suggesting we should make loans available to people who do not have the repayment capacity.

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