Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. We have been hearing for some time, particularly towards the end of last year, that the package was coming and that detailed information was coming, and that commitment has been made several times. We were to get further detail in the first quarter of this year and that time has come and gone. Can the Minister give these farmers any commitment on a timeframe for this, given how long they have waited already and given that in the media the proposals the Minister is looking at have been half put out there and half not? There is an awful lot of uncertainty for this cohort of farmers and they have been left in a vulnerable position. I imagine many of them have left farming or are considering their futures, given the pressure they have been put under and the fact that they cannot wait forever for this scheme. Given that the basic income support for sustainability scheme is about to close in a matter of days, can the Minister give us any idea whether we are looking at the period before recess or if we are looking towards the end of the year? Can the Minister give any indication to these farmers who are still waiting?

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