Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for their presentations. There is a lot of information in them. My head is spinning trying to figure out which question I want to ask. The factors that come across from all the contributions are education, efficiency, the joined-up approach by the various agencies and, in particular, working with farming organisations because that is where many of our problems come from. The smart farming, whole farm approach to soil fertility plays a huge role. When one comes from that type of background and travels around the country, particularly the more marginal and weaker areas, one can see that things could be more efficient from a production perspective and in terms of what we are trying to achieve on the carbon issue. If this efficiency and education were available to many of the weaker and poorer sections of the farming community, it could help to address the problem in some way.

I welcome the fact that 30 farmers will be included in an educational discussion. When will this be rolled out, how widespread will it be and where will the concentration be? If the witnesses are to achieve what they want to achieve, the concentration must be within sectors of the farming community that are most vulnerable and most in need.

The witnesses talk about critical and strategic conservation. When they talk about critical conservation, they are talking about land that is probably sterilised for that to happen with the loss of income to the farmer involved. There are no more relevant areas than parts of west Limerick and north west Cork where whole areas have been sterilised because of the hen harrier. In these areas, people entered into an agreement, did not have the contract and have no income. We must make it attractive through a support mechanism.

I think about 7% of forestry is managed by Coillte while forestry takes up 11% of land nationally. Obviously, that must be increased to meet targets. This goes back to supports. How do we get that extra take up? The witnesses take about efficiency in respect of food waste. This comes back to education for the consumer and producer.