Mr. Michael Lambert:

It would be of great benefit to the scheme if there was more contact with farmers on the ground in regard to regulations. What happens at present is that a regulation is introduced without any contact being made with farmers and then we discover the regulation is unworkable. We then have to go back to try to get it changed. Consider, for example, the regulation being introduced now in regard to straw beds under which farmers will be obliged to put straw beds on concrete floors for livestock. However, nowadays we have modernised to slatted sheds and could put straw on them. However, the rule now states that we cannot put straw on slats and must fill the slat channels with concrete to do so. Anybody in his right mind would know that if we put straw on slats and put animals in on that, all the waste will go straight through and it is still a dry bed. This new rule defeats that purpose. The rule was brought in, but no contact was made with us to ask whether it was workable.

We have carried out significant research here in Ireland and, in the context of livestock housing, we are ahead of Europe in many ways in regard to mats, etc. We cannot have mats on the floors under the stock.