Professor John Sweeney:

The damage was done when the Common Agricultural Policy was renegotiated. It was quite clear at that stage that the Commission was going to move away from a productionist philosophy towards an environmental protection philosophy. In many parts of Europe, farmers responded to that. Between 70% and 80% of farmers in Senator Murphy's area are gaining the bulk of their income from environmental schemes rather than from production. I know it is very different in the Slaney catchment. Farmers, for whom I have a great deal of sympathy, have been misled.

They were told to go into intensive production at a time when the Commission was quite clearly setting its stall against that. I believe we must look at why the Common Agricultural Policy was not better balanced out when it was renegotiated. Why were Irish farmers not encouraged to anticipate the removal of the derogation, which has now been going on for 30 years? Why has an intensification been allowed to proceed that is now threatening water and air quality, as well as our commitments under climate? Environmentalists are not the problem. I believe farmers have been put in an awkward position. They have been led into a policy cul-de-sac. I believe it needs a complete rethink of how the farming environment should be operated in the years ahead.