Mr. Tadhg Buckley:

I have one point to add to that. It is often said to us that we are one of only two, three or four countries that has a derogation, which is the case. However, it is often said as if we have to almost apologise for having a derogation. The reason we do is because our grass-based system, in that we can grow grass like no other country in the EU can. We have a completely different system. We have to get away from this thing of saying we are the only country with it, the Netherlands has it and is losing it, and Denmark has it and it is under review. Ireland is completely different from those countries. We do not have an easy way to export slurry to be it anaerobic digestion, AD, infrastructure that is not in Ireland at the moment though it may be in the future. We do not have huge amounts of tillage ground which they have in other countries where they have a much lower level of grassland. The other thing to remember is that if we lose this derogation, we will move away from the grass-based system. It is not a competitive advantage any more; it allows us to be able to compete internationally with other dairy producers. As the president has said, we do not have any other advantage. We are actually disadvantaged in everything else because we are a high-cost economy to do business in whether you are in farming, hospitality or whatever else. It is a high-cost economy and that is a fact. The derogation farmers are operating at a much higher level in terms of the number of requirements that are asked of them than non-derogation farmers. It is understandable that they operate at a higher level. However, if Europe takes away the derogation, we have this group of farmers who are doing all these extra measures and we will lose the goodwill of farmers as well. As they will be making a lot less money, how will the extra measures be financed? It is a very complex issue and simplifying it or threatening by saying we will lose the derogation because only a number of other countries have it, is not a sensible or a practical way to assess it. It is also not something to which farmers will respond positively.