Mr. Michael Cronin:

Deputy McNamara asked what is lost to the farmer. We have put a lot of time and effort into the compensation issue and our view was that the €370 per hectare payment is justified to pay the farmer for what he has to do to ensure the hen harrier habitat is kept in place, as Senator Ó Domhnaill mentioned. There are many restrictions and the €370 per hectare payment is reasonable for that.

On the forestry issue, the farmer will not get anything as such from that. The argument we are making on that is about holding the value on the land. The big points I keep making, with the lads as well, is that if a farmer has a farm of 100 acres and has land that is suitable for forestry, in normal circumstances, 100 acres would sell for €400,000 or €450,000. If he happens to be in the catchment area for the hen harrier, it is valueless or close to that. He cannot sell it for forestry. That is the issue we are trying to solve on the forestry side.