Mr. Francie Gorman:

I thank Deputy Kerrane for her questions. On the planning issue, the serial objectors are clogging up the system. That is the single biggest problem. Someone living 150 miles away from a development can decide to object to it on flimsy grounds. This issue has been highlighted year after year. To be fair, the political system has not addressed it and it needs to do so.

Regarding ACRES, there are measures in place, such as riparian zones, that farmers can adopt to help improve water quality. However, the scheme has become almost impossible to administer. Payments have not been made to farmers. We welcome what the Minister did after a meeting last Wednesday night in getting interim payments out to farmers. That is a help but underfunding of the scheme is a huge issue. If those issues were addressed, it would be a big help.

Another point needs to be made. This is not only a dairy issue; rather, it affects everybody, including tillage farmers and livestock farmers. It has overheated the land market to such an extent that it will threaten the viability of some family farms that are now tied into long-term leases. The uncertainty around where people will be in four years’ time is preventing farmers from investing in their farms. I know dairy farmers who are forced into the land market to take land that they do not need. This is adding to the cost of production. Those are the issues that must be addressed.

We are doing our job at farm level, to be fair, and we will continue to do it. The best farmers have always taken the best advice across the board. It is the same with respect to water quality or environmental issues. The best farmers will implement the best advice that comes their way. There is nobody more cognisant of the fact that we need quality water on our farms than farmers themselves.