Mr. Hugh Farrell:

Much has been said, and I suppose we are starting to repeat a bit ourselves. The biggest issues here were raised by Deputies Flaherty and Danny Healy-Rae. I thank them for their questions and comments. I will begin with Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, who spoke about going back to the 1970s and the number of cow buyers or whatever on a farm.

If we look at this over the last few months, and even last night, we attended another meeting on sucklers, we are talking about reduction through organic farming. Money is put into it through maybe environmental schemes and asking where the cutbacks are. This is all coming from Europe and different angles. Is this another part of it? A greater reduction in livestock is being put on farmers. We are the enemy every time the television goes on in every direction. As we said earlier, I do not think this levy and hard press should be put on fertiliser. It is over-burdening. As was said, every year is different with supplies at times. This year was a different year with a drought. Next year could be a better growing year. We hear so many different things. We cannot be limited like that. We need to have access to the product at all times. This is where we must have that. Putting a quota on supply is really creating a reduction in certain events where people cannot feed the animals, which causes welfare issues. Much more has to be looked at in this Bill. It could be deferred a bit until it is better thought out or as someone said earlier, tweaked on where it is going.

I want to touch again on the other issues of accommodation and differences in medicines and stuff. That is our biggest worry. There is talk about taking the licensed merchants and pharmacists out of it. The Government is talking about reducing by maybe half or two thirds the number of people in the system who are supplying products to the farming community. We will be running with a shortfall. Accessing that is where our problem as farmers will be big time. We have seen this in energy with power stations being closed. Now, we are short on power and the Government cannot open them again. Are we going to look at that? We have these licensed merchants sitting in closed-up buildings when we are short on supply and we cannot get to them. We cannot be looking at this happening again. We want to see this continue as it is until it is better put together and the Department becomes clear on it. It has to be pushed back down the road until we get clearance on it. The ICSA is not happy with the position.