John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

There is a major opportunity for the national food industry in this area. If we get to the point where the environmental restrictions are such that they make it difficult for farmers engaged in intensive agriculture to farm, it will present an immense opportunity for us to give consumers the type of food they are increasingly demanding at the prices they are prepared to pay for such high quality food. That is the area on which we must concentrate. There is a major job to be done by agricultural research. In this context, I was disappointed that there was such a cut in funding for such research in the Estimates as there are areas we can exploit to our advantage, a point on which I suspect Senator Quinn is more qualified to elaborate.

Under the modulation proposals, once farmers receive payments exceeding €5,000 they will begin to be penalised. If they receive payments exceeding €50,000, they will be quite heavily penalised. Half of farmers will not be affected by the €5,000 limit, a low limit which is not sustainable. It is not enough to allow people to live with dignity in rural areas and a measure that will have to be examined, a point I know the Minister will successfully argue.