Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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My last point is on where we are, unfortunately, with the weather issues we have throughout the country. I will be very blunt. In my part of the world, last Monday we had 33 mm of rain, which is just over 1.5 inches. That is significant, to say the least. Pressures on farms are significant at the moment. There are fodder issues and slurry capacity issues. This is causing mental health issues and many farmers are struggling. It has been six months of winter, to say the least. Farmers are really feeling the pinch. Perhaps there is a need for Bord Bia to give a month extension to its certification process, rather than having farmers go through an on-farm Bord Bia examination. That would be very helpful for the farming community. Farmers are under pressure. Notifications are coming out for next June that they are going to be farm inspections. I realise that by June the world may have changed, but there is potential for Bord Bia people to be on farms tomorrow and the day after. I think there is an opportunity here for Bord Bia to extend the certification process for a month, thereby giving people a breather, because they are under exceptional pressure. I suggest Mr. Murrin raise the issue with the executive for its consideration. I was hoping the winter would end two months ago but it has not ended yet and I do not know when it is going to end.