Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for that reply. Under Pillar II, LEADER has a key role to play. The maximum payment that can be received under Pillar I is high but the focus must be on small and medium sized farmers. We must assist those farmers to increase their capacity and their income generating abilities. The land alone and the production of beef or sheep, for example, is not enough. There are other opportunities for farmers that must be pushed and developed but we are behind other countries in that regard. If one looks at France and other countries in Europe, one sees that we are way behind in terms of farmers' markets, organic production and so on. We must up our game. Some of the focus in that regard must lie under Pillar II as well.

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