Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I reassure the Senator that the Department and I are committed to supporting those small farmers. They are indeed vital to rural areas. Whether they are full time or part time does not matter much to me at all. It is about how the land is managed and the water protected. If we can do that through supporting small farmers to maintain livestock, it is even better. At the end of the day, it comes down to how the land is managed and the water protected. We will absolutely do everything we can to support farmers to keep farming in these areas. It is a part of Ireland we still have that is very unique and we need to cling to it. I am happy to engage further on this offline if the Senator wishes. It is a good plan and certainly something I support.