Mr. Gerry Gunning:

Obviously we agree with Deputy Collins on the issue of land eligibility being a problem. The restrictions have resulted in problems for farmers in west Cork and other places. We are concerned about farmers who have not been paid for this year in the context of burning. There is evidence in west Cork that hills were burned by people who came in from other areas, yet the farmers whose land was burned end up with a penalty.

Our line on that issue is that unless the Department can prove who started the fire, all the farmers should be paid. One is dealing with commonage land. Commonages are sometimes very big and have many shareholders. Sometimes the farmers may not know one another. They might be from different sides of a hill, for example. It is not as simple as with private land. Private land is different because one is fully in control of it. With a commonage, it is very different. That is our position on that matter.