Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Farmers have responsibility each year to put a red line around areas on their holdings that are not agricultural land. If a road is put in across a field then the appropriate change must be made. If a yard or shed is extended or if it was decided to take land out of agricultural use the farmer has an obligation to show that. If there is an extension of scrub which makes the land not eligible for payments or for farming then that must be shown on the map. I encourage farmers to use the appeals system so that we can try to work out fairer solutions in difficult cases than might be the initial response based on the map. We must get the process under way so that we can get outcomes farmers will accept.