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

I thank the Deputy for his supplementary question. We have been attempting through various schemes to divert the maximum number of supports to farmers in the beef sector whose incomes have been challenged for some time. The Deputy will appreciate that the beef exceptional aid measure, the beef environmental efficiency pilot and the restoration of areas of natural constraint, ANC, payments to €250 million have all been about acknowledging specifically the difficulty the sector is in and providing additional income supports on top of other schemes that support the beef and suckler sectors in particular, including the beef data and genomics programme, the Department's environmental schemes, etc. As far as responding in a timely fashion is concerned, we have been ahead of where Fianna Fáil itself was in terms of initiatives. Fianna Fáil made no request in its budget submission last year for additional measures on top of the existing schemes to support the beef sector. We have also been proactive in looking for new market opportunities. As the Deputy will be aware, the Chinese were here during a difficult period. We have been in contact with the Commission repeatedly and successfully in the context of the €100 million scheme. As late as yesterday we talked to the Commission about the requirement for a timely response from it for enabling regulations to allow us-----

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