Mr. Donnacha Anhold:

Absolutely. Many farmers come in my door on a regular basis, week by week. Farmers are extremely reluctant to engage in any form of litigation, particularly because, at the end of the day, they have a farm. They might have inherited that farm down through generations of the family and want to keep it for the generations that will come after them. If that litigation fails, inevitably that farm is up for grabs by the party against which they failed. There is always an underlying fear for many farmers if litigation does not go well. As we know, any case can turn in any direction because there are many twists in turns in litigation once it starts, and it is difficult or impossible to predict the end. If things do not go according to plan, even if a particular farmer may not have a lot of money in the bank, so to speak, because they are running their farms on what are small margins, and if they lose that case, inevitably their farm will be under threat. The Deputy is correct in his assertion.

I find that even where farmers have very many issues they have difficulties with, or matters on which they are not being dealt with fairly, and when they have a case, claim, right or whatever the case may be, they are still reluctant to take action. They are afraid that the other party may not work with them to try to bring that arrangement through to its end or follow it through. These involve vital funds they need to run their farms. If they take an action and the action is lost, they are extremely fearful that their farms, or part of them, could be lost. It is their livelihood that goes with it.