Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The problem is when farm contractors' costs increase, they have no option but to pass that on to the people for whom they are doing the work, so this charge applies directly to many farmers. It has been promoted at EU and domestic level that farmers pool resources and apply contractors and that, as opposed to having huge vehicles and machines lying idle on their lands for long periods, they contract somebody to carry out the work across a larger number of farms. They have been doing that. Does the Minister accept it is regrettable that a move in this area has not been made before now? Does he accept that the increases in carbon taxes that will apply on 1 May and, in a double whammy, on 1 September as a result of the reversal of the temporary measures, constitute, in effect, an additional charge on farmers, one which they have no alternative but to bear?