Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their opening statements and very detailed submissions. I will address the Agricultural Consultants Association first. It is interesting that the ACA provides support services to more than 55,000 farmers. I imagine this must be the majority of farmers who have advisers. It is important that the association is here because I imagine its advisers are put in a very difficult position regarding certainty on the derogation and the way in which every few years we have to wait to see if it will change or remain the same. The ACA's advisers are the ones who farmers are looking to for advice. When it is so uncertain I presume it is very difficult to advise farmers. I ask the witnesses to speak about the difficulty with how the derogation works.

The ACA has also been on the front line regarding the submission of applications to TAMS. Fast-tracking of planning is mentioned in the association's opening statement. Objections to planning are an issue as well. If there was a process by which the TAMS application could be sped up, would that be enough in itself to do what needs to be done?

The current derogation IT system was also mentioned as being in need of a complete overhaul. I ask the witnesses to expand on that point. Regarding the ASSAP, reference is made to the fact that it needs to embrace the ACA. I ask them to expand on that too.