Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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When I graduated from agricultural college in 1979, the farm organisation scheme was in place. The Minister of State may say that has nothing to do with the Bill but it has a lot to do with it. At that time the form for the farm organisation scheme was very simple. The farmer had only to set out his or her livestock units and what he or she wanted to achieve by year end. Surely we could devise something as simple as that, which was very successful through the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s. I am worried we will end up with all these conditions that will be like the cross-compliance conditions. God would not satisfy them, particularly when bureaucrats go out to examine. A little power goes a long way and can blow someone’s head if it is taken too seriously. That is what happens. People have the power to refuse something or impose conditions. Theory must be tinged with practicality and pragmatism for it to be effective. The farm organisation scheme is a template. I would like the committee to see the templates the Minister of State is bringing forward tested out and about.

My concern is that what emanates is booked and backed by theory rather than by practice. Felling licences and conditions are necessary but what type of conditions will be imposed? We are back to proportionality and reasonableness but what is reasonable for me may not be reasonable for someone else. The problem is that reasonableness is very subjective.