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

The solution is to be found in the room. It is coming across loud and clear. The problem is that there has been an abdication of responsibility. The expectation is that the Minister and the Department will draw up the criteria. However, the witnesses know bloody well that if they do so it would not be in the interests of farmers. A working group must find a cohesive and co-ordinated approach with input from the farming organisations, the ACA and farmers themselves in conjunction with the Department. That is how to resolve the problem. The problem is the time factor. I fully concur that a number of years is probably needed for a lead-in, along with a management plan.