David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her response. I welcome the fact that she is bringing forward some of the payments to next month, which will make a difference for some. In respect of the other recommendations she outlined, when does she expect to bring those forward? I acknowledge there are budgetary constraints and so forth but I encourage her to get those on the table.

I ask her to comment on the fact that, in 2011, there were 11,000 recipients of farm assist whereas now there are 4,864 recipients, while the amount being spent on farm assist has dropped from €113 million in 2011 to €53 million now. Is there a reason for that? Is it that farmers are better off now, which is why people have dropped out of the scheme? We know that, in the main, an ageing group of smallholders is availing of the farm assist scheme. Given that the Teagasc national farm survey report of 2021 found that 33% of the 93,000 farm families are vulnerable and depend on this kind of payment, the statistics in the review that the Minister has published are very interesting.

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