Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief because we are at the end of the allotted time and many questions have already been raised that have been answered. I welcome our guests here today. There are a few Deputies who have been looking at the attack on Irish agriculture over the past number of years. The dairy sector is now under pressure with the nitrates review going on. My worry is that this may lead to a solution that might affect the suckler or sheep farmer being promoted. It looks like the Government and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are targeting Irish farmers and they could be wiped out of business by them. There was a climate action Bill and a carbon tax; this is one attack on top of another on rural living and Irish farmers.

I have listened to Deputies who told us when the climate action legislation was going through the Houses that we should not worry as it would not lead to a cull of cattle. Look where we stand now, particularly as we have a nitrates review. I can only imagine that if I were in the Brazilian department of agriculture or a Brazilian farmer, I would be rolling around in stitches laughing at the way our Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is treating Irish farmers.

I had a few questions but some have been asked already, in fairness. If these nitrates proposals go forward as proposed - they are being railroaded through - are we going to see a reduction in the size of cattle herds on Irish farms?