Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

They were consultants, experts and scientists, etc. All of that must be provided for. I am concerned about the degree of duplication and the cost involved. The famous case of the hen harrier would be another example. The designation of special areas of conservation certainly caused the generation of a great deal of antipathy towards Europe, towards politics in general and towards the European institutions.

I would like to make a final point in this whole area. If we do not identify the issues that are causing antipathy towards Europe, we are walking lemming-like towards the cliffs. In such circumstances, we will not solve our problems here or across Europe. It is up to ourselves. Simplification is one of the issues we must consider. Reason is another. I will give a classical example of a contradiction we must not forget. In order to qualify for a particular payment in some special areas of conservation, one can get a grant for fencing from the relevant Government Department. Under another directive, one is not allowed to create a fence in the same area. One cannot create a fence and, at the same time, one must create a fence and one gets a grant to provide the fencing necessary to keep livestock in off the roads and the special areas. It is utterly crazy when we go down that road. Large columns of what we are doing are totally and absolutely in conflict with itself.