Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Our witnesses made a request earlier in the day that we would, in turn, make a request of the Minister. From my point of view, as Chairman, I am fully in favour of doing that. On the basis of what we have heard today, we will put together a request to the Minister. As Senator Paul Daly has said here today, given the time lag, the time we have to work is imperative to our argument. As the IFA president has said, among all of the EU members states we have a unique farming practice here and I believe that has also to be recognised. This stocking rate is part of our sustainable food production and we are completely different to the rest of Europe. Brussels must recognise that, as there is no one who grows grass or has that ability across Europe in the same way as we have here. In a time of climate change, where we see what is happening in southern Europe at the moment with heat; where we have sustainable food production we have to make our best endeavours to try to maintain that. At that, as I have said, we will commit to-----