Ms Anja Murray:

----forestry and many other sectors have also been to blame. The water framework directive management plans for catchment areas states that each sector contributing to the problem needs to ensure that they cease contributing to the problem. It is a very logical step to have CAP measures helping the agriculture sector to make sure that those problems do not persist. It is the same for all the different sectors. It might be a bigger problem in terms of ground water reserves but in terms of surface water problems, agriculture has contributed. The CAP can do a lot to help to incentivise an improvement in water quality which is in line with other objectives in any case.

We agree that energy production is a significant issue. We do not have an Environmental Pillar position on that. There is competition for land resources for the production of food or the production of energy.

Senator Comiskey asked about a budget agreement and about REPS and AEOS. There is great potential to deliver. We need targeted schemes rather than a broad-based scheme.

We are looking at working with the IFA and other stakeholders to develop something very specifically for the uplands. This will form part of our set of targeted schemes to suit different landscape types and farming systems.

Reference was made to the benefit of having a simpler system. That is very difficult to achieve, however, when we have a broad range of different schemes addressing different issues. A person working in Europe with lot of expertise in this area once said to me that the system is like an iPhone. The internal workings are complicated but one does not have to be a genius to use it. When it comes to the various schemes, what is happening behind the scenes might be complex, but the operating system and user interface that is presented to the farmer should be relatively simple.

Regarding funding under the second pillar for the Boleybrack Mountain project, the bottom line is that if the proposed cuts of up to 25% are actually implemented, none of those types of initiatives will be possible. We would very much appreciate some support from the committee on this issue in whatever form members consider appropriate. The debate in this regard is ongoing, with major decisions due to be taken in the coming months. The disproportionate cuts to second pillar funding jeopardise the entire future of the CAP and should be reversed.