Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I would like to raise a number of issues in this debate, which I welcome. I echo Senator Comiskey's thoughts on the flat rate payment, as it could be positive for small rural farmers. There are two types of farming. Farmers engaged in industrial type production are doing reasonably well and driving export-led growth, which is welcome, but many small rural farmers are living below the bread line, earning less than the average industrial wage. They also need to be supported by the Government's policies. Some of the Commissions' policies favour this group and I hope the Minister does not sway too far in favour of large industrial farming units. We need to help rural communities to remain vibrant.

I am interested in the Minister's reference to hobby farmers. We have a different perspective on that in the west in that farmers have a number of income streams. Some depend on a combination of farming, fishing and other work in the locality and we do not call them hobby farmers. We should not lose sight of the fact that this is the integral part of the fabric of the society-----