Tom Barry (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I am concerned about the rush to expand. Doubling one's holding does not mean doubling one's efficiency. Land is being taken at the moment without any metrics. How many people are taking soil samples beforehand, given that the costs of increasing land fertility are huge? While banks are lending they must also ask relevant questions, such as: "Is this adjacent to your milking platform or is it five miles away?"; "Is access okay?"; "Will you, in five year's time - with two poor years in a row - be able to pay out those funds?". There is a surge in optimism now but enormous sums are being demanded and paid for land without the necessary due diligence and without even fixing ahead. Before one would even grow cereals, one would forward sell. I am not suggesting that banks should set up such a system but I am interested in whether they are telling farmers to spread their risk.