Mr. Brendan Gleeson:

I cannot go through the intricacies of the process because I am not familiar with all of it. However, for example, you have to do two 30-day periods of public consultation at various ends of the process. Before you even do any work, there are 60 days of public consultation to be done. You have to consult with other Government Departments. You have to inspect the site and do an appropriate assessment. More than 80% of our cases have to be appropriately assessed. I would rather be clear that if a person applies and is put into appropriate assessment, that person will have a license in nine months. This is a long-term investment for people. I do not think saying that nine months is a barrier is the right messaging. The right messaging is that this is a long-term investment, the rewards are good and it is complementary to the farm enterprise, not something to substitute for it. Having a clear and reliable period within which a person will get a license is far more important than me coming here and making a promise that I cannot keep.