Mr. Conor O'Mahony:

They can. This was agreed with farming organisations in the context of the financial working group. The hardship grant conditions were amended to remove the off-farm income limit but it would only be paid in the event that the farmer had more animals this winter than last year as a result of the restriction.

Take the classic example of a suckler farmer who sells their weanlings in October or November. They often test a month or two beforehand. If they got locked up they will be left with the weanlings they would otherwise have sold over the winter. In agreement with the farm organisations the conditions were that farmers had to have more animals this winter than last winter as a result of their restriction, because the purpose of the hardship grant is to help people who must incur the additional cost of holding onto these animals over the winter.