Mr. Patrick Kent:

On the issue of the pilot, it was only relatively recently that legislation on the timing of hedge cutting was introduced. Hedge cutting would have been done at a farmer's convenience in the past, during winter months as well as summer months. It was done on the basis of necessity. We probably need something stronger than a pilot project. We need this extension to get those hills burnt and so on and so forth. I compliment the three Deputies on their common-sense approach to tackling the issue. Each of those men is from a rural area and is familiar with what is happening in rural Ireland on the hills and the mountains, along the by-ways and all the rest. It is people like them who should be making the laws and the legislation. Farmers do not work nine to five.