Mr. Colm Hayes:

I will be very brief. I want to deal with the question as to why we are not engaging in more detail on the CAP right now and to dispel the notion that detailed consideration is not ongoing. There is a whole other forum out there which is considering the shape of the next CAP and what it should look like. The Minister has established a CAP consultative committee on which there are environmental NGOs and various other social partners. That discussion is very much ongoing. What will the next CAP look like in terms of biodiversity and climate? It will be a mix of trees, organic farming and a whole host of other things. I am not sure if Senator Higgins or this committee has made a submission to the CAP consultation process. Lots of people have made submissions so perhaps that is something for the committee to consider. Obviously, the high level point still stands. We do not even know what the budget for the next CAP will be and without an idea of the budget, one cannot fix the individual schemes. That said, one can still have the discussion and that discussion is taking place.

Finally, pollinators were mentioned and the Department is hugely supportive of the all-Ireland pollinator plan. We are also a significant financial supporter of the National Biodiversity Data Centre and its work. I would like to give one example of the crossover between woodlands and bees. Earlier this year we launched an initiative to encourage owners and local bee organisations to use native woodlands to host beehives and open up these habitats to foraging bees. This is part of the implementation of the all-Ireland pollinator plan. There is a huge amount going on but this type of whistle-stop format does not allow us to elaborate further. However, I would be happy to bilaterally deal with any issues or questions.