Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received representations from farmers representatives requesting a reversal of the budget 2009 cuts; if he expects to respond as requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44304/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I have received a number of representations, directly and indirectly, from various interest groups requesting that I reconsider the 2009 Budget decisions. The situation is that the 2009 Budget was framed against the background of a serious deterioration in the public finances which required difficult decisions to be made on the allocation of the limited resources available. I made these decisions in the best interests of the agriculture, food, fisheries and forestry sectors following detailed analysis of my Department's programme of expenditure and careful consideration of all of the options available.

However, despite the difficult economic and budgetary situation, funding of €1.8 billion gross is provided for my Department in the 2009 Budget. When combined with EU funding and co-funding of about €1.4 billion next year, this represents very substantial funding for the support and development of the sector. In framing the details of the 2009 Budget for my Department, my priorities were to ensure that the available resources were targeted on a range of measures that would maintain the productive capacity of the agriculture, food, forestry and fisheries sector, to continue its development within the budgetary constraints and to ensure that it is well positioned to achieving its full potential and benefit from future economic growth. With this in mind, I will keep all aspects of expenditure under close scrutiny during 2009. In the normal course, I will also review spending priorities in the context of the preparation of the 2010 Estimate for my Department.