Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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My apologies to Mr. O'Donnell. I had to go out while he was making his presentation. I compliment the witnesses for the detail in their presentations. As a new organisation, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association is definitely going to ruffle a couple of feathers. Its presentation was top class. I did not have a copy of the presentation before the meeting but, hopefully, it will be e-mailed to me afterwards. In respect of land designation and the restrictions applied to farmers with designated land, the compensation structure for land that is designated is just not up to scratch. If one is restricted in terms of what one can do with ones land, compensation should be there to match it. This area must be seriously examined regardless of whether it involves the hen harrier or whatever else causes the land to be designated. The hen harrier is a major issue in my county where there are restrictions on what can be done on vast tracts of land but the compensation is not there to match them.

Points have been made about the independence of the appeal board. I have had a lot of dealings with the board. Former Department staff sit on the appeal board even though it aspires to be independent. For the sake of farmers' confidence in the appeal board, the staff who manage the process should not be former staff of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I am not questioning their integrity but for the sake of farmers' confidence in the appeal board, it would be a major step forward if the staff manning the appeal board were not former Department staff.

In respect of the association's proposal for the areas of natural constraint, ANC, payment, the association definitely has the ingredients to start a civil war. I can see exactly where the association is coming from. The review of the ANC scheme will be a significant debate for the next 12 months or year and a half. The association has made very valid arguments about areas of natural disadvantage and that the parameter for payments is very narrow. Regardless of whatever pot of money is there and the way it is going to be divided, there will be many political arguments to and fro about the payment of the ANC. I compliment the association for the way it put forward its case today. It highlighted the differential between €20 and €250 of scope for payment. The parameters that are there at the moment are very narrow. There will be much scrutiny of it when this review happens. It will be a very lively debate. An organisation like the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association, which has a mandate from hill farmers, will make a very strong argument when the review of this payment is being discussed.

I agree with Mr. O'Donnell about the national reserve. I do not think trying to refuel the national reserve from the single farm payment is a runner. Every farmer has suffered very significant cuts with the way the single farm payment has gone over the past number of years. The parameters for the national reserve were far too wide. We tried to accommodate everyone when national reserve payments were made a year and a half or two years ago and we spread the butter too thin. Sales of entitlements are the only way that can be funded going forward and that will not put any meaningful amount of money into a reserve to cater for the cases that come before us.

The restriction on stocking rates and commonages and how that is being dealt with were not mentioned today. Farmers were forced to de-stock on hills a number of years ago, which created huge difficulties. Are witnesses happy with the stocking levels allowed now, particularly on hill commonages? I compliment them on an excellent presentation. The association will definitely ruffle feathers for the constituency it represents and has made very valid arguments.