Subsidies must remain an integral part of Irish farming. It would be impossible to implement environmental policies or sustain marginalised farms without them. It is not fair to withdraw them in one short, sharp blow as proposed by Commissioner Fischler. Subsidies are vitally important to a select number who must maintain some form of valuable income on the land. Transitional payments must be in place to safeguard the current generation of farmers while allowing the transition to a new generation who will have to take on board the new styles and standards that are almost inevitable in farming.