Mr. Tom Canning:

There are complications regarding planning and we fully realise that. This is particularly the case where the area in question is close to protected areas. People can leave themselves open to claims but we have appropriate assessment reports going in with planning applications to try to speed up the process.

Regarding water quality, we are looking at adherence to the closed period. Slurry storage is an absolute requirement here. Trying to support this is crucial and speeding it through the planning process and giving it priority through the TAMS system are essential. Trying to get those applications across the line is one of the biggest issues we face at the moment.

Regarding the 70% support, and the question of whether speeding up the planning on its own is enough, the reality is that while TAMS costings were improved dramatically from TAMS 2 to TAMS 3, they are still not in line with the real costs of materials. In effect, the current 40% or 60% grant aid being provided to farmers is ending up at 25%, 30% or 45%. A close look needs to be taken at index-linking, so to speak, the costings. The 70% support is essential, particularly for the development of slurry storage facilities on outlying parcels of ground so that slurry is spread on them, which takes pressure off the grazing platforms on dairy farms. We have also argued, as ICOS argued earlier, that where farmers are considered not to be nitrate-compliant and not to have sufficient slurry storage on their farm, they should be given an allowance. Say, for example, a farmer is 100 cu. m short and meets that 100 cu. m but also develops an additional 300 cu. m of slurry storage on top of that to future-proof the business. That 300 m³ should be eligible for 70% support. These are very practical targets. One of the biggest problems we have is slurry spreading over the closed period. Because the nutrients are not absorbed by the growing crop, it is not growing and taking up the nutrients. The EPA recognises that as the greatest risk. We need to address that by improving the slurry storage facilities and future-proofing it as well in terms of what Teagasc is promoting. The indications are that we are looking at increasing excretion rates as well. All of these measures are needed to future-proof our business.