Mr. Francie Gorman:

We are certainly not divided on the issue. Oftentimes farm organisations have different views on different issues. However, on this one it is quite clear that everyone wants the same outcome. That is to be welcomed. The Senator talks about fairness and responsibility for water quality. No sector will be financially impacted as badly as the agricultural sector if we lose that derogation. It came from 250 kg N/ha down to 220 kg N/ha, and the science shows us there will be no discernible improvement in water quality. We are looking for fair play. We believe the measures we have taken on farms will deliver. We need them to be given time. To move things on at farm level, we want the EPA to be clear what its ask is and how it goes about assessing water quality. We want grant aid for all farmers. Today, if you are in derogation you are not entitled to grant aid - sorry, if you do not have the required slurry storage capacity on your farm, you are not entitled to grant aid. That needs to be addressed. The planning issue is crucial. If you are going to deliver improvements in water quality, you are waiting 12 months, 18 months or two years for a planning application to be approved. You are then waiting another year for permission to get TAMS approval, and maybe another year after that before you are finally paid for the development on your farm. You are four years down the road. We need certainty of where we are going in four or five years' time to give farmers the confidence to invest in their farms. What we want from our political masters, if you call them that, is for them to be on the same pitch as us. We are not looking for a free pass here. We fully understand the need to have good water quality in this country. As Mr. Buckley said earlier, we actually have it, but sometimes that is not said. I have seen water courses in Europe. When I compare them to what we have there is no comparison, even visually. It is credible to think that if we can come forward with a common plan that we will hold on to this derogation, and we have to hold on to it. I know there is a lot of frustration at farm level at the moment about being regulated out of business. This is a red line issue.