Mr. Tim Cullinan:

I thank Deputy Carthy. Any farmer who is in derogation is using low-emission slurry spreading. From that point of view, the availability of contractors is an issue. I am referring, in particular, to having contractors available within a short window. This goes back to the closed period. The more the period in which organic fertiliser can be applied is shortened, the more a bottleneck is being created. There is already a serious bottleneck. The Deputy is absolutely correct about what he is saying. I stressed earlier what the position would be if the requirement for farmers outside derogation became a legal requirement. Those farmers are not able to apply for grant aid under the current system of TAMS. This is something we will have to revisit because we are expecting more farmers to use the very expensive equipment. Some farmers will want to purchase the equipment themselves to be able to apply their fertiliser at different times of the year. In that case, the matter has to be revisited. In the event that farmers are going to add more storage to their farms, and if this is a requirement, they will not come under the grant aid system either. This has to be addressed also. Along with considering grant aid, we must also consider low-interest-rate loans to help farmers to further develop storage on their farms, if that is going to be required.

On anaerobic digestion, our association has been lobbying successive Governments for years. There has been no indication from the Government that there will be support for farmers in this regard. Bearing in mind the regulation concerning how organic fertiliser is treated within this process, we should consider the circumstances even if there were a renewable heat incentive or tariff for farmers to develop the kind of system in question. Organic fertiliser taken from one farm to a neighbouring farm for processing and then applied on the farm of the farmer who supplied it in the first place is not classified as a mineral fertiliser so it does nothing for the loading on the farmer's farm. If anaerobically digested product taken in from a wastewater treatment plant were spread on a farm, it would be treated as a mineral fertiliser and would not affect the organic loading on the farm. Therefore, there is an injustice right from the very start.

Just up the road from Deputy Carthy, in Northern Ireland, we have seen how the system has developed. We have seen how it developed right across Europe over the years. The Deputy talked about farmers diversifying. This is an area into which farmers should be able to diversify but the proper climate has to be put in place so it will be financially viable and create an extra income for farmers on their farms.

If the Deputy does not mind, my colleague, Mr. Paul O'Brien, chairman of our environmental committee, might want to add to what I am saying.