Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his detailed response and I fully understand he cannot amend the whole scheme.However, this goes back to the small farmers and small contractors and to the inter-reliance in communities where people do not have the necessary funding mechanisms to hire plant and machinery. The eligible person has to be a landowner or a farmer, so who is looking out for these guys? The Minister and I are very familiar with a number of small contractors. Where do they fit into all of this? In this whole big conglomerate of the European Union, where is the relevance for local communities? We hear right across the country that farm communities are struggling. Somebody who takes a lease on a piece of machinery and tries to offer services in his or her community, who is bedded down and respected in his or her community, is offering a service. Who is going to financially support and assist that person? Is there any other mechanism through which such a person can apply for funding? What can the Minister do? What reassurance can he give me that he will look at this, particularly in regard to the small contractor?

The person should not have to be a farm owner or be involved in agriculture. We have more graduates and students studying agriculture at the moment who live in cities than ever owned land and, in many cases, they have never been involved in agriculture. We have to acknowledge and recognise there is a new shift and a new interest among people coming into agriculture. Clearly, I will send this to the Irish Farmers' Journal, and other media to say this is the response. This is the Minister's response, which is accurate, and I appreciate the Minister taking the time to do that. However, I would also like to know what support and comfort the Minister can give small contractors.