Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Bank of Ireland has been offering flexibility in its terms but more needs to be done on that.

All of us have to aim for the Food Harvest 2020 targets but if we do not have efficiencies at farm gate level, we are going nowhere. Efficiencies are crucial, and I agree with what the witnesses said in that regard.

The superlevy will be the first obstacle to any development we might have. If we are facing levies of €100 million, that is a substantial amount of money. The farmers liable for those fines are the people we need to develop the industry, and they are starting from a very difficult position. Deputy Ó Cuív has left but he asked if anything could be done about that or if he should be doing more as Opposition spokesman. Where we stand has been clearly laid out. In terms of a European context, we have been told not to knock on that door, that we know the rules and we should adhere to them. However, it is an issue on which we should be able to get some leeway in the coming period.

The elephant in the room, so to speak, is the liquid milk situation. It is not being discussed but it is the key issue. Mr. Murphy concentrated on grass production, which is crucial, but as I have said in previous meetings, we seem to be heading for a situation where we will be looking for a drop of milk for our Corn Flakes in a few years' time. It is not possible to produce milk during the winter months for the money we are being offered. The input costs are too expensive and we will end up in a situation where we will not have a constant supply of liquid milk at that time of the year. I would welcome Mr. Murphy's comments in that regard.