Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The problem is for the farmer who is farming on marginal land who got a contractor to drain that land 20, 30 or 40 years ago. He is trying to make a living on that land with sheep. It is generally sheep because it would not be strong enough for cattle. I ask the witnesses to give it to me in the bread and butter terms. What sort of an Ireland do they think it should be, in terms of the numbers of cows, sheep, beef cattle and the amount of tillage? Give it to me in numbers. Do they think there should be a cull on it? I want to see what their vision for it is. They talked about organic farming. If they want to go organic, we have the lowest number of organic farmers in Europe, I think. To be honest, however, you would not feed a quarter of the planet if everyone tried to go organic because you would not produce enough per year from it. That is the bottom line. I am asking the witnesses today to tell me their vision.

In talking about objections, we were trying to get a sewage treatment plant where water quality was affected in a designated area. In fairness to Irish Water, and as bad as it is, it put in a new sewage treatment plant and damn An Taisce, because it objected to the outflow of it because it was 98% made perfect, when it had been 100% raw sewage going in at one time.

I want to know the vision An Taisce has for rural Ireland. When I look at An Taisce, I see objection after objection. I want to know its vision for the number of dairy farmers there should be. Do the witnesses think there should be a cull of dairy farmers or a reduction in the number of beef farmers? What is the story on suckler cows and sheep farmers? What other kinds of farms will keep a family in a local area, in all parts of this country, not just one part?