Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

From the perspective of farming, the environment and the forthcoming Lisbon treaty referendum it is important that we have a substantial debate to resolve this issue. Hundreds of people are protesting outside Government Buildings but, more importantly, thousands of people are genuinely concerned that their only real source of family farm income has been removed at a stroke of the Minister's pen. It is ironic that, as the Government was about to shut down the Dáil for the summer recess, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food decided to shut down this vital scheme of funding for rural Ireland. I ask the Leader, who comes from rural Ireland, understands rural communities and knows the importance of this scheme to people, to ask the Minister to reflect on this serious error. We all make mistakes and we must all recognise the country is in financial crisis but some schemes repay their costs over. REPS is such a scheme and, from an environmental and financial perspective, the decision must be reviewed immediately.