Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for attending and making their presentation. They are right to highlight the fact that the public sector is protected by the Croke Park agreement and that it is a shame that the farming community did not have such a luxury afforded to it in recent years. What our guests are asking for can be summed up by the saying, "What we have, we hold". The farming sector has suffered as many, if not more, cuts as anyone else. It has taken a significant hit and is telling the Government that it cannot take any more and that the current schemes should be retained.

The Government could take simple measures that would make a difference. For example, I am glad to see that the carbon tax issue was included in the presentation. Proposing a carbon tax is nonsensical at this time. It would be stupid beyond belief to impose it on the people of Ireland, given the high cost of fuel.

Regarding what is occurring on the ground, there seems to be an attack on the farming community in the form of inspections. Farmers feel as if they are being criminalised. If a person in another walk of life fills in a form and makes a mistake, then it is a mistake. However, if a farmer makes a genuine error when filling in a form, it is an offence. It is as if he or she is a crook. I could never get my head around this. I am not referring to the Government alone, as successive Governments and Departments have treated farmers in this way.

Our guests are acutely aware of the pressure farmers are being put under everyday because of a combination of issues, for example, bad weather and silage pits being opened and found to be rotten. Each of our guests knows someone - I certainly do, and I am no exception to the rule - who has taken his or her own life owing to pressures at home on the family farm. It is shocking and awful, but it is happening. At this time having an overzealous inspection regime does not make sense.

I will always call a spade a spade. Although this is a pre-budget submission and my next issue has been touched on, I am disappointed by the proposals on commonages. This issue poses a major problem. Last week the Irish Farmers' Journal printed a report on the minimum and maximum numbers of sheep to be allowed on commonages and the impression was given that letters would issue shortly. On Tuesday night the Minister assured me that the letters would not be issued. The truth is that they cannot be issued. I will cite an example to show how impractical and unworkable the proposals are.

Four people have a right to a particular commonage. One of them is inactive and not availing of his right to the commonage.

Of the other three people, if one of those had 150 sheep, he should go up to approximately 500 sheep. He cannot to do that. He does not have the lowland to take it and the hill would not be able to take the 1,900 sheep in the first instance. However, even if he and the other two raised their stock to that level and if the fourth person did not comply with this requirement, the other three would not get paid anyway. This shows how crazy it is.

It is vital that Mr. Gilmartin's group and the IFA make their voices heard on this important matter. As politicians we will do everything we can to highlight the anomaly that exists and the fact that it is unworkable. Then there is the other extreme. There might be people putting 150 sheep on a hill but after seeing the figures, they might figure out that they might be entitled to put 30 on it. Who will police this? Who will stand at a gate at the bottom of a hill and police what is on the hill or will the sheep census that is completed every year be used? What is proposed does not make sense. Where are they aiming to go with it and what do they hope to achieve? I appreciate that Mr. Gilmartin is very active in his work but I urge him to hammer the point about the commonages as well, because many people will be affected. Are there 7,000 commonages?