Mr. Sean Coughlan:

We have acknowledged that any farmer that has acted in good faith should not suffer any consequence from a SCEP point of view. They are two separate issues. When we are talking about the direction of the national herd and the challenges that breeding faces on a global basis with the efficiency of the beef cow, it is not an Irish phenomenon; it is the same all over the world. How can we continue to have a more efficient beef cow?

The carbon piece does not have to be all bad news from a farmer's perspective. I am not sure if the Deputy was here earlier but over the past 15 years or so the average carcass weight of a finished suckler animal in the factory has risen by 15 kg. The average conformation of the finished suckler animal in the factory has risen by about half a conformation score. We have managed to get those animals finished in 100 fewer days than was required to finish them ten years ago.