Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

You set out the stall very well at the start of the meeting, Chairman, when you mentioned the key issues that were raised by the previous witnesses. In terms of redundancy, according to the departmental officials we are only talking about 12 members of staff. It was stated that they have to get two weeks' redundancy payment. That is a very small amount of money and we must find a way around it so that they can be suitably compensated for their work. Effectively, we are giving 24 weeks, which is 12 by two. We must find a mechanism whereby we can ensure that some kind of contribution can be made to staff following the change in regulations and legislation that is not of their making. Finding a solution to that is one of the key issues we must address.

Could Mr. Greally comment on how he came up with the calculation of €50 per square metre, taking into consideration that there is a loss? He also mentioned that it was €47 and he increased it to €50 due to building inflation. In my part of the world, building inflation is running at 25% this year alone and building costs have increased dramatically, particularly in the context of labour. When responding, could Mr. Greally outline the date on which the calculation was made, given the dramatic increase in building costs in the past six weeks alone?

Could Mr. Greally also clarify the views of the three local authorities involved on how the work can take place? Is planning permission required? What licences or permits are required and how will the process function in terms of a timeline for when the buildings will be taken down? Is there a proposed timeline in the legislation for the decommissioning of the buildings? Will there be a period of grace and how will it be set out in the legislation? Mr. Greally might respond to those issues.

In a previous contribution it was mentioned that Denmark gave a ten-year compensation line. I would like to hear a comparison between the differences in our approach and the approach in Denmark. Why did Denmark propose ten years and we proposed five? If we are following international best practice and what has happened previously in other jurisdictions, why did we deviate from the Danish model based on ten years?

Another issue raised by the Chair and other members is the cost of culling per animal. The difference in price is unbelievable. It ranges from 40 cent to €4 or €5. What communication was there between the Department and the three farms in recent months, because we are out by 90% on a good day?

It shows how much work needs to be done. I thank the Chair and I realise we are under time pressure.