Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I have a few brief questions following on from the points raised by previous speakers. I also welcome the delegation.

On the timescale for the rural development programme, as I understand it, a proposal was made to the Commission in the past week. Is that correct? When does Mr. Moran expect to receive a response? When does he expect the Department to be in a position to take in applications from the first applicants under the 2015 green low carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS? At what stage in 2015 will the process be up and running?

On milk quotas, to which Deputy Martin Ferris referred, I am concerned about a phrase Mr. Moran used in his submission, namely, "some form of supply control in the case of a crisis in the sector" in the future. I am concerned because some countries are very strong on this issue. Many farmers in Ireland invested a substantial amount of money to increase their herds and expand their facilities on the understanding that they would have freedom to produce as much as possible and that there would be a market for them. They need to know in the short term if there will be obstacles as they move forward. There are serious targets to be achieved under Food Harvest 2020, particularly in the dairy sector. Given that large investments have been made, this is a source of serious concern for those in the middle of an investment process. There is a need for certainty. It is important that we have some allies, but there is also a strong group building on the other side and it is a battle we will find hard to win. The timescale involved needs to be known in the very near future because people are beginning to plan for what will happen in March 2015 which is only seven or eight months away.

Deputy Martin Ferris referred to the beef industry. Mr. Moran mentioned that the US Secretary of State had been here in recent weeks.

What will be the value of our exports to the American market when it opens later in the year? There are disadvantages and advantages in that from our point of view and from a European point of view. Is there the potential that we will flood the market with American beef when we are trying to get our beef to America? Are we playing one against the other, and will we get lost in the middle of that situation? As Mr. Moran knows, beef farmers have been through a difficult time. How will all this fit into Food Harvest 2020 from our point of view? Some people would argue that the targets will never be achieved. That is a matter for debate but if the markets we are trying to open are not worthwhile, for example, America, is it worthwhile going there in the first place?