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

I am also anxious to facilitate Deputy Gallagher, so I will be brief. It is important that we deal with facts. There is no exodus from suckler herd farming. Indeed, it was expected that with the lifting of dairy quotas, there would be a significantly greater exodus. The current figures show a reduction of in or around 6% in the suckler cow herd from just under 1 million to approximately 960,000. Most of that reduction has not happened along the western seaboard but in Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford, which has the highest number, and Cork. That is mostly because activity is being displaced into dairy production. There is no mass exodus and it is important that we not talk ourselves into a crisis.

The Deputy has not addressed an interesting issue, namely, that I am constrained by funding. If we want to provide funding under Pillar 1, there will be a cut of just under 20% in every farmer's basic payment. I do not propose to do that, but it is unclear whether Fianna Fáil proposes to do that. Perhaps the Deputy will enlighten us.

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