Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the redistributive payment proposal from the French Government and a similar proposal included in the Council of Minister proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14647/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The proposal for a redistributive payment allows Member States, as an add-on and not an alternative, to flat rate or partial convergence, to use up to 30% of the national ceiling for top-up payments to farmers on hectares up to the national average farm size (32 hectares in Ireland) or up to 30 hectares.

I am open to considering whether it would be of benefit to Ireland to avail of this option. However, I do not believe we should rush a decision on this option. The agreement last week established a Council position for opening negotiations with the European Parliament and the Commission. Many elements of that agreement may be changed in the course of these negotiations and we need to see the final outcome on all aspects of the direct payments regime before we can take informed decisions on what is the best course for Ireland. I will of course consult widely before taking any decisions on this matter.