Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the extension to the end of 2028 and agree with Deputy McGrath that we could do with publicity about that. In my small rural village in north Longford, a public house that I frequented for many years and that closed during the Covid-19 pandemic is now nine one-bedroom apartments. The bar is now a one-bedroom apartment and there is no problem getting it filled. There is a massive need for small one-bedroom housing in our community in Longford, so I fully welcome the development.

I come from a rural area and have met all the farming organisations, including the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, ICSA, the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA. The derogation is key to the future of agriculture and I am in favour of anything that helps with fighting the case to safeguard it because the alternative - losing the derogation or it being reduced - would be significant for rural agricultural communities. We have to fight hard to make sure we keep it. Therefore, this is welcomed by the farming and agricultural communities. The quicker these regulations are in place, the better. Those communities are waiting to be able to extend their storage capacity. At certain times of year, we see people having to go out on land when it was not proper and they are destroying good land for grazing.

On the regulations, I note that when it comes to the grants for agriculture, if a tank is one foot bigger than it is meant to be, the departmental inspection for the grant will not proceed until other documentation is completed or even planning permission obtained. I know that from my experience with a lot of people in the area. For various reasons, the tank did not go exactly where it was meant to so they ran into trouble. It is being monitored on the ground. I am not throwing in a curve ball, but we have a particular issue where it went astray. On the shores of Lough Ree - some of the officials may be aware of it - it was not monitored or checked. Massive storage tanks were built on the shores of Lough Ree unbeknown to the local authority and it is now costing Longford County Council north of €2 million to draw away from it and completely remediate the site to avoid a potential disaster for Lough Ree. I am just putting that on the record as it is hanging over our local authority and other potential services in the county because it is a bill we will face. Can that be looked at? I am asking for support for Longford County Council to be able to remediate that so we do not have a massive issue with pollution on Lough Ree. I apologise for throwing that at the Minister of State.