Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Every farmer will have a copy of the report on the examination that takes place on his or her farm. We had an opportunity within the regulation to provide a farm advisory service. That was not acceptable to the farming organisations. Teagasc and the private planners will provide that service. The Department of Agriculture and Food, and Teagasc have organised events at which such advice has been given. People are anxious to know what is going on. The information is being provided. If people want to disrupt that process, it will be on their heads. It is unfair that farmers who are being facilitated with this information are not being given an opportunity to appreciate it. It is wrong, without a shadow of a doubt, to suggest that my inspectorate is undermining or vilifying farmers. That is factually incorrect. An inordinate amount of bureaucracy and paperwork is being done by my inspectorate, rather than by farmers.

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