Dr. Brendan Dunford:

I thank Senator Garvey. I met her two weeks ago on the side of a mountain with about 400 people herding cattle up a hill. It was a great celebration of farming in the broadest sense. To answer the question as directly as I can, what I would do if I were head of government, God forbid, would be to invest in Ireland's farmers as the solution to the climate crisis, the biodiversity emergency and the crisis in food nutrition. They have the potential to deliver. When I say "invest" I mean pay those farmers who are willing to deliver. For those who do not want to, that is fine. That is a different agenda. Farmers in their droves are willing to engage with this agenda if they are properly rewarded, supported and encouraged. This is what I would do. Forget about the term "compensation". We are speaking about paying farmers for essential services they can deliver for society.