Luke 'Ming' Flanagan
Ceist:477 Deputy Luke “Ming” Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the provision of general software services to farmers including stock management, health management, financial recording, financial planning, sheep recording, and nitrates management fall within the remit of the Irish Cattle Breeders Federation; his views on this in view of stated objective of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to encourage the development of an indigenous, export-oriented, small and medium-sized enterprise-based software sector, his further view of the fact that up to six private companies, now reduced to two, were at one stage engaged in the provision of such services; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that his Department has funded the ICBF to become the No. 1 seller of farm software services in Ireland via its software HerdPlus and that this funding is severely undermining the existing non-taxpayer funded companies in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30553/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra