Mr. Thomas Ryan:

There is a degree of frustration among the farming community which is looking for solutions. Deputy Kenny referred to anaerobic digestion. The long-awaited announcement from Government around the renewable heat incentive is a cause of considerable concern because while AD is a commonplace technology across many European member states, we have less than five in Ireland and all are pilot projects.

The value of AD is that it allows the slurry to generate electricity and also for a separation technology to be applied as part of the process whereby farmers are then able to transport the solid fraction and reduce their haulage costs considerably. The introduction of the RHI would go a long way to making AD viable. Indeed, it is dependent on it. In our recent submission to the Minister, Deputy Denis Naughten, we again called for the introduction of an RHI scheme.

Regarding liming, two thirds of our grassland is at optimum pH. That means a third of our grasslands are not producing as much grass as they can and it is four times cheaper to feed livestock on grass than on concentrates. Only 45% of tillage soil is at optimum pH. We are missing the opportunity to support growth and development in the sector. That is why the submission calls for support for liming, which will effectively address the underlying soil-fertility issues, support production and drive on a lower-cost-base model. At a time of challenging farm incomes, such supports are very important, not just to address the environment but also to address farm incomes.