Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice for the various points that he has made and for the questions he has asked. At the outset, I recognise the fair wind, the proportionate commentary and the balanced assessment he has given to CAP. I recognise and acknowledge that and he has been fair in relation to the strengths, weaknesses and challenges around what it means and, importantly, what it will mean for farmers. That has not always been the case but it is encouraging to see that Deputy Fitzmaurice calls it out as he sees it and that he calls it out in a balanced way.

First, in relation to the UN World Food Programme, WFP, we forward paid that last year. We forward paid this year's money at the end of last year and we will be doing the same again this year. That has been the case for the last few years. In relation to fisheries, some of that €6 million in fisheries is down to an underspend at the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA, because staff had not started as early as had been projected. Some of the remainder is around delays, mainly in local authority piers and harbours funding, as well as in the drawdown on that in terms of funding that has been committed to.

In relation to forestry, overall, I take the Deputy's fair point about the amount of time needed for native broadleaf trees, given that they will be in the ground for longer. However, for those who want to make a contribution and who want a good income over the next 20 years, the tax-free aspect of it is significant. Ultimately, there will be an income from that. While it will take longer, it will be a good income. If people can see that in 20 years, it will encourage them. We need farmers not to plant their whole farms but to look at their farms to see where it can be incorporated in a way that delivers income and that brings all the many other benefits to the environment and to biodiversity, as well as to the make-up and the assets of the farm. As for the conifers, it is true that the increases are not as significant there but it is still a strong proposition. The commercial value and timeline involved in that is shorter, more in line and more in sight as well.

In relation to ACRES and the extension for planners, I hear what the Deputy is saying. I have been discussing this with farmers and planners from the outset. My phone, I am sure no more than the Deputy's own, has been hopping strongly with messages over the past few days. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked me about this in the Dáil yesterday as well, and I told him that I was considering the situation and would bring clarity to it very soon. I understand the pressure that advisers in particular are under. It is a massive challenge-----