Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for her reply. Is there any truth in the rumour that has been circulating in the past few days that the regulations as presented to Brussels are not acceptable? Are they being sent back for further change, especially regarding fines and other penalties on farmers? Currently, those penalties are tough. How will the new situation deal with pig and poultry farmers? Will manure from those farms be allowed to go on other farms involved in REPS? What regulations will apply and how will they be affected? Is any effort being made to get litter and manure treated in the same way as fertiliser? As a farmer, it is unacceptable that one can buy whatever fertiliser one likes at the local store and spread it on the land, yet one cannot take a much superior product from local farms in the form of pig or poultry manure.

Does the Minister accept that farmers are in limbo because they do not know where they stand? As the Minister has said, the derogation cannot be given until the agreement is made. That means that many people are half way through this year's season but still do not know what regulations they have to deal with.

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