Dwyer announced last week that Wexford Sinn Féin will be hosting a conference for the Leinster area on the subject of Rural Regeneration. He also expressed his full support for the farmers protest to draw attention to the fall in income and the threat to the survival of thousands of family farms and rural communities.

Dwyer said, "I spoke to one farmer from the Hook area last week who told me that in his case the €15,000 average income figure was an exaggeration as he estimated his net annual income at being less than €10,000."

"The fact that farmers feel that they must embark on an action such as this is an indication of the depth of the frustration being felt by thousands of farmers whose livelihoods are under threat.

While Minister Walsh may claim that most of the factors underlying the crisis are outside of the control of his Department, the cuts in the various agricultural and rural development programmes contained in the Estimates are an indication of the Government's lack of commitment to maintaining rural communities.

"Sinn Féin will continue to press for radical action to be taken to ensure that not only does farming remain a viable option for those wishing to remain on the land, but that real effort is made to ensure the balanced development of those communities currently facing economic collapse and social isolation."