Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. I will address fertiliser first. Mr. Murphy said that farmers who might have fertiliser this year will have to do an inventory at the beginning of next year. Take me through this. If I am a person who imports fertiliser or different products into the country and if I supply 1,200 different merchants around Ireland, do those merchants have to do something when it comes in as well as when they move it on? Does the co-op have to do something when it goes to the farmer? Going by what Mr. Murphy is saying, farmers will still have to do paperwork where they have to state what they had at the beginning and what they have at the end. Is this system online? If one looks at the age profile of farmers around Ireland, they may never have had the opportunity to work on computers. With no disrespect to Teagasc, will it cost them when they go into Teagasc or to a planner? Will they have to pay someone because they have half a tonne or three bags left? Is this what it is shaping up to be?