Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising multiple issues under the overall umbrella of farming and agriculture. The fundamental objective of the Government is to protect farm family incomes. The most effective mechanism to do that is through the Common Agricultural Policy. We negotiated a Common Agricultural Policy for the period 2023-27, with a strong focus on supporting family farms regardless of size or location. We are looking at close to €10 billion in total between EU and Exchequer funding that will support over 120,000 farm families under the new CAP. There is a 50% increase in Pillar 2 in rural development funding compared with the last CAP as well as a fivefold increase in support for organic farmers and, for the first time, specific supports for women farmers. In the first year of the new CAP, some €1.2 billion has been paid to farmers. Payments will continue to issue to farmers this month across a number of schemes.

The Deputy raised knackeries, fallen animals and so forth. I think he was implying, perhaps, that the environmental standards are too high. He might clarify that. We need to be cautious there. We have to have strong environmental standards in respect of the disposal of animals. These days we cannot play fast and loose with that. I did not quite get the context in which he referred to that but he might clarify that.

In respect of the meeting in west Cork, I think the Deputy referred to my going down there-----

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