Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Surely this has come to the nub of the problem. There is no interaction between NPWS and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. NPWS will come down like a tonne of bricks on somebody who does not get the permission. A person could find himself or herself with a District Court prosecution. In this context, surely the Department, at a national level, could contact NPWS and indicate that force majeure circumstances will apply and that a farmer who cannot get clearance will have to take immediate measures to rectify and remedy the situation. In that context, surely NPWS can also take a force majeure approach and a parallel force majeure situation can apply in terms of what NPWS and the Department accept. This could ensure those farmers in west Clare or west Galway are accommodated and that they are not hit with a possible prosecution by the NPWS and, in parallel with the commitment the Department has given here today, do not find themselves losing anything as a result. I salute the Department for adopting a very common sense, pragmatic approach. Would that apply to all other agencies involved? The Department should contact them to ensure they area aware of the situation.