Mr. Tom Canning:

I was part of the agriculture water group until I stepped down from that group last December. I stepped down because of the final report that went to Europe on the retention of the nitrates derogation. It did not include one mention of the ACA or the private advisory service providers in Ireland, even though I had attended all of the meetings and made what I felt were very positive contributions. They were really positive contributions. We are 100 days out from the next round of the nitrates regulations. We do not know whether we will have a derogation.

The implications are there. Morgan Sheehy, a classmate of mine, estimated that one of the implications of losing the derogation in Ireland was a 22% reduction in stock numbers nationwide. If farmers want to retain their stocking levels as they are currently, it would require them to rent the equivalent of County Kildare in land area. The effects are astounding and there would be trickle-down effects on every single farm in the country. Yet, we are 100 days out. If we do not get derogation, how will we prepare the clients to be ready for it and deal with the implications of that? If we get it, will there be different regulations? If there will be different regulations to deal with, how will we advise our clients properly on this?

This is what we are talking about. We need the training. We need the access to that information so that our members can deliver a clear, consistent, professional message to the clients we are dealing with who are going to be impacted by the new nitrates regulations coming on stream.