Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The witnesses have two definitions of people who are farming - people who own land and people who operate land. The cohort that own it are generally older on average. A higher proportion of the people who are now operating the land - there has been emphasis on young farmers - will not own it. There is a land mobility effort. We have had the agri-taxation review. It relates to share farming and people being able to undertake capital investment other than just stock investment into properties they may never own but they nevertheless get their value out of it through some arrangement. Somebody mentioned unsecured loans of up to €30,000. In reality, that will not do very much except for working capital. It will not be investment capital.

Some of the rural development programme options, particularly with regard to the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme measures and farm safety, are not mandatory or essential but are very important. Are the banks prepared to look at that as an investment that does not yield a return per seexcept the safety and well-being of those to whom the banks are lending? This needs to be focused on.

We have had presentations from the Irish Dairy Board, Bord Bia, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society and Positive Farmers, the latter body being led by Mr. Michael Murphy who I am sure the witnesses are aware of. He farms extensively and not just in Ireland. He drew a comparison with New Zealand. Ms Byrne mentioned agri-specialists and agri-managers. Somebody who is in trouble can expect up to 20 contacts per year with their contact person in the bank. Are the banks geared towards working with people in financial difficulties due to the front-loading of investment in the face of possibly two years of challenging market conditions, where prices will be very difficult and where things will probably go backwards as opposed to eating into their financial obligations or indebtedness?

The ratios of available specialists to those to whom the banks are lending are very important. If we drew the comparison with what happened in the building sector, there were too many people given extensive facilities without any experts in the field lending to them who understood the complexities of the market. One could say the same about agriculture. Unfortunately, Deputy Penrose had to leave. I will let the witnesses manage the questions any way they wish. Perhaps Mr. Crowley wishes to start?