Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the Taoiseach will be aware, farmers are going through an extremely difficult time whether they are dairy, beef or sheep farmers. The price of cattle is at a low figure. Many farmers totally depend on a good price for cattle to survive and basically feed their families and put them through college or simply pay their own bills and put food on the table.

Many farmers are advised to sign up to various schemes to enable them to get another income into their farms, one of which is the organic farm scheme. This is an environmentally friendly way of farming and I expected the Green Party in government would be jumping out of their skins to promote it. However, since the scheme reopened more than a year ago, why have 85% of applicants been refused entry thereby leaving it open only to the large farmers?

Is the Government serious about the survival of the small farms throughout the country and will the Taoiseach be able to resolve this farcical situation? I ask that he and the Ministers, Deputy McConalogue and Senator Hackett, step in here to allow genuine organic applicants into the organic scheme.

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