Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will explain his budgetary position is on maintaining payment levels on the rural environmental option scheme and on the agri environment option scheme, disadvantaged areas and suckling cows; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53467/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The funding for all schemes and services administered by my Department is determined in the annual Estimates process taking account of the expenditure ceilings set out in the Government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework, 2012-14. The preparations for the 2013 Estimate are currently under way. All budget lines in my Department’s Vote are being examined critically as part of that process. Under the expenditure ceilings, the funding allocation for my Department has been reduced by €114 million in 2013 compared with 2012. Very difficult choices will have to be made in relation to the funding of schemes and services in order to remain within the reduced allocation. My aim is to ensure the resources available to my Department are managed to provide the optimum benefit to economic activity in the agricultural, food, fisheries and forestry sectors and to realise the potential which exists for the sectors to contribute to the economic recovery.