Ms Catherine Keena:

Deputy Ferris asked about transaction costs and collective responsibility in the UK. The UK has such a complex and interesting scheme, it is difficult to explain and I will not attempt to do so. It has collective responsibility and a penalty can be imposed on all. It has not ended up being as big an issue over there and the fear is not as significant. Perhaps it is a fear more than it is a reality.

With regard to the big transaction costs, somebody from the outside - such as a land agent - would visit the farmers, asking each what he or she wants from the commonage and if it is being used. One farmer may want to place a small number of cows on it for two months and another may have sheep on it all year. Others may not want any stock on it. The farmers may not be speaking to one another. The land agent we met was fascinating and spent a minimum of one year in discussions and drawing up an agreement where everybody could be happy. It is a totally different process to here. Safeguards are written within it and it is a legal agreement in the end; money is paid to the group, and that group may or may not pay the members who do not want to use the commonage. The approach is completely different and the transaction cost is very obvious, with much input by professionals in drawing it up. There is much money involved.

There is a penalty issue but safeguards can be written into the agreement on how the money is divvied up. It is a different world altogether, and we can learn some lessons from it. We must respect history and people, including how farmers here may not have a close affinity with others on the commonage. There is not a mad rush here for people to say that the farmer who does not put up animals should not get anything. It may be obvious to argue that if a farmer is not using the commonage for grazing, he or she should not get any money. There may be much respect here for an elderly neighbour who was a good farmer for all his life. The money issue is complex but lessons can be learned from the UK approach.