Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the presentation. I agree with Deputy Kyne that it is a good thing the problem at Derrybrien and Roxborough has been solved.

It is a sad day when farmers must get together to get justice for themselves, when common sense did not prevail until we headed for the steps of the court.

I refer to the pictures. I am a fair while around looking at land. Is there any guide to tell a person what height heather that is or what is or is not acceptable because ten different people can make ten different assumptions out of pictures? I do not know whether that is 1 ft., 18 inches or 6 inches high. If that is going out to a farmer, with all due respect we are heading down a road that involves us putting more cost on them with planners or others. Someone will have to explain to the farmers what that is because I do not know. I could not put my hand on my heart and say that is 1 ft. or 18 inches high.

As for the burning, there have been a lot of gorse fires around the country and this seems to be a knee-jerk reaction. It seems to be heading towards the blaming of farmers for this burning, which I do not agree with whatsoever. If a tourist throws a butt of a fag out a window and sets someone's area on fire, the Department is now saying it is bye-bye to that farmer's single farm payment. The solution to the knee-jerk reaction to the gorse fires that were around the country is not to penalise the person who is not responsible for it.

In rock areas, for example, in the mountains, how do we quantify or who will tell a farmer how much area is in rock or whatever that he or she must take out? Obviously, they were getting this payment previously and the Department is saying now they will not get paid.

I welcome the position on the SPAs and SACs. However, there is one point the officials must remember. There must be a bit of joined-up thinking in this regard for the simple reason that there is good ecological value to be had and here we have the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the other side. We have a great organisation, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, going around the country telling farmers what to do and then it runs to the hills. They told farmers to de-stock. They told farmers that they could not dig a drain. If a farmer cannot dig a drain in a designated area, common sense will tell him or her that it is worse the ground around it will get. I note the Department is on about bits of wetlands and marshy areas. Such a farmer will be in trouble straightaway. Will there be a bit of joined-up thinking employed where, if the farmer has land in a designated area, an ecological expert will be supplied by the Department to advise the farmer on the best way to get around such serious problems in designated areas?

I have received representations from farmers with enclosed areas in Mayo. They tell me that they are being prevented because the heather is too long. There is a problem in Sligo and, indeed, in parts of Mayo and Galway. The officials spoke of land needing fencing or farmers ensuring that they are able to outline their parcels, and about commonage not needing fencing. However, there are parts of the country where farmers cannot put up a fence because they must get planning permission and environmental impact assessment, EIAs. This has been going on for approximately two years. What is the Department's take on that? I refer to land that is private property, not commonage, but is not fenced. How will the Department solve that problem? This problem is evident in several counties where there are persons objecting to a fence going here or there. I would be grateful if the officials could answer those queries.