Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is a very important issue for both sides of the fence, and it is clear that if we had more time we would ask more questions and would try to get more information about it. We have one island, and whether one is from a city or a countryside area the fact of the matter is that we are all stakeholders in this particular island. It is true that farmers are being hammered in this country. At the moment there are only 44,000 farms that are considered to be economically viable. That has to change radically. My view is that this needs to be done in partnership, and both sides of this debate should sit in partnership. I do not believe this Bill is going to achieve either side's ultimate aims, but we thank the witnesses very much for their presentations and participation today.