Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is a total misrepresentation to represent the withdrawal of BAR funding as a cut to the agriculture budget. That was always one-off funding over a period of two years. The deadline for the expenditure of that funding is the end of this year. I have worked to ensure every possible avenue to draw down that funding for both the fishing and agriculture sectors was found and to deliver it for farming and fishing families but it was always going to end at the end of this year. There seems to have been an expectation that the BAR would somehow become a permanent fixture into the years ahead but everyone knows that was never going to be the case. It was this Department that spent the biggest piece of BAR funding. We spent as much of it as we possibly could but, when that funding stops, it will no longer be seen in the budget. Our budget is still increasing, however. For the first time ever, I have delivered €200 for suckler farmers in Clare this year. That will be continued next year. I have also doubled the payment for ewes from €10 to €20 for sheep farmers in Clare. Furthermore, every single person in Clare who applied to ACRES this year was accepted. That is this Government's track record of delivery as regards supporting farmers in Clare.

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