Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that this will be available for the duration of the next CAP. I acknowledge the excellent work that the Minister has done on CAP over the past weeks and months, and his engagement with farmers throughout the country. No one would want to limit the possibility of farmers coming onto the scheme, especially when, as the Minister said, it is a positive one. He said that there has been a pay-out of approximately €8.5 million. There will be €10 million for this scheme in the budget. Particular farmers in Tipperary are full-time tillage farmers who have quite sizable farms and see the opportunity, from an environmental point of view, and also certainty of payment relating to this scheme. As the Minister knows, the past six or seven years have been challenging for tillage farmers. Although this year has been good, that will not always be the case. This scheme has been widely welcomed by the industry and by grain growers across the country. The more people who can use it, the better. I understand about making sure that farmers across the country are not limited from getting into it.