Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have received the two reports and at this point I am not cherry-picking different options or proposals within either of them in advance of making a final decision on all of them. That is all I am saying. My commitment to the suckler herd is clear and that is why I have increased the payments next year under the beef suckler scheme from what had been €90 on the first ten cows under the beef data and genomics programme, BDGP, to €150 from January, which is important for the sector. The suckler sector must remain the anchor of our beef sector. It is massively important and will continue to be fully supported by me.

Alongside meeting our emissions targets, we will provide new opportunities for all farmers in terms of energy, for example through anaerobic digestion and solar power. They provide important income streams for farmers. I hope all farmers consider that alongside the important work they are doing at the moment. I have made no decision and I will not cherry-pick one issue over the other. Those are not my proposals; they are two proposals from the food vision report on which different stakeholders have taken different views. I will fully consider them and then make my views clear.

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