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

I thank my colleagues for raising this matter. I, along with the Government and the Deputies who have spoken on this, recognise the difficulties in the beef sector and agriculture generally. That is why the Government, in 2019 alone, put forward funding of an additional €120 million to support incomes in that challenged sector. The Teagasc 2020 results published earlier reflect that financial support has been available to that sector in the context of a difficult environment. It is not true to say, apart from those schemes, that the Government is not supporting farmers. I could list the exceptional aid measure, the environmental efficiency programme, the additional areas of natural constraint, ANC, payments, which have been increased to €250 million, the extension of disadvantaged areas and the beef data and genomics programme. A host of financial supports are available to that specific sector in the agricultural community.

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