Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I cannot stress any further that I am absolutely aware of the financial impact on farm families who have continuous reactors, whose herds are locked up and all of the strain that brings. That is why the additional money I get and the significant resources I now have must go into tackling the spread of the disease. It is pivotal. I do not want future generations of families to go through that same stress, financial turmoil and everything that goes with it. This action plan, which is now fully funded, is about addressing the key causes of the spread of that disease and targeting the money at spaces that will stop the spread of the disease, nip it in the bud and get the disease back under an element of control. To be successful, that plan means we need to find additional reactors next year and the year after, and that is what we will do. We will find them earlier. We will stop those reactors being undetected, going out and seeding the diseases out further. By doing that, fewer farmers will be impacted. I will keep a close eye on the compensation rates and where they are at-----

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