Joe O'Reilly (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Cardiff and his team. I echo the Chairman's first question because many people will be anxious to know the process by which we have arrived at being net contributors and will be concerned to think we are borrowing to contribute. They will also be concerned because they are still suffering the effects of our extraordinary and profound recession. People want to know the position and Mr. Cardiff's thoughts on the matter will be important.

The natural resources heading is predominantly with regard to agriculture. Mr. Cardiff stated there was a 3.6% estimated level of error. He also stated there is very little evidence of fraud and that generally it is not necessarily fraudulent but, rather, the over-declaration of little parcels of land to do with traditional turbary rights, bogland, traditional rights of way and traditional farm structures which go back in title and on the Land Registry for ages. My experience from constituency work is that several things happen. Farmers are denied their payments, which relate to maintaining a sustainable supply of good quality and affordable food. We all know this but it merits repeating. We need the Common Agricultural Policy and direct payments to farmers to achieve these objectives. In seeking these direct payments, farmers are held up indefinitely over these small - often really minute - parcels of land. It delays their payments for months and puts farmers through enormous mental trauma. The process is also expensive. My colleague, Deputy Kyne, might be in a better position to evaluate this because of some of his professional work in the past. I know it puts people through enormous personal trauma and a great deal of expense because they are obliged to bring in professional assistance. I am aware of this practically from my work and it is not a colourful exaggeration. Is the pursuit of people in respect of little parcels of land comprising, for example, a hedgerow, a little bit of what was traditionally common, a bogland area or a right of way not a fruitless activity in many respects? Is it not almost over-bureaucratisation? We know what is involved is not corrupt practice and none of us wants to sustain it because we are all anxious that, for our taxpayers, there is prudent and judicious spending of moneys. However, is this not an inordinate witch hunt which causes enormous trauma and expense and is almost a fruitless endeavour because it relates to little parcels of land? Is it not questionable when we consider the entire process? Will Mr. Cardiff comment on this and does he agree it is wasteful?

There are domestic issues with regard to the timing of the digitisation of the maps and that the private company doing it should be acting much more quickly. I accept this is a domestic question but perhaps Mr. Cardiff will comment on it.

My fundamental question on agriculture is to ask whether we are nitpicking and chasing something for the sake of chasing it. Is this not an industry in itself and a ludicrous imposition on the primary food producers who are keeping high-quality food on people's tables at a competitive price?

The figure of €8.8 billion was mentioned with regard to administration. One of the reasons for a level of alienation, disenchantment and voter non-participation in European elections is the perception the EU has become a monstrous bureaucracy and administrative structure and something of an albatross around the necks of the member states' taxpayers. Will Mr. Cardiff comment on this and on the justification of €8.8 billion in administrative charges?

I wish to ask about the domestic situation in Ireland. Is the popular belief true that Ireland is very compliant - almost over-compliant - and that we have too much of a cap-doffing attitude to Europe? Are we too respectful with regard to idiotic bureaucratic rules and do we follow them to our own detriment? Does Mr. Cardiff see evidence of a higher level of compliance in Ireland in the audited figures? Does he see something to justify the view that we are too good Europeans in this respect?

My fundamental question on agriculture really bothers me. I have a constituency office in Cavan of which I am particularly personally proud.

It has an effective and wonderful staff. They spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with small farmers plagued by this issue because of maps of little parcels of land that, though overestimated, are not even a fraction as large as this room. The problem delays their entire payment, traumatises them and costs them a fortune.