| It's true that the mountains have been totally over-stocked with sheep, as farmers availed of EU headage grants and other incentives. |
| Since the beginning of this year, some 1.3 million cheques have been issued to farmers under the various livestock headage and premium schemes. |
| In the long term, support from government and from the EU cannot be based on headage payments and production subsidies. |
| It's disgraceful that the Minister for Agriculture is trying to buy our vote by paying out headage payments to the farmers. |
| To change the system of payment will lead to income losses mostly on suckler cow and sheep farms that are highly dependent on headage. |
| He also noted that EU direct payments, especially headage payments, to farmers will increase again this year. |
