Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

Commissioner Fischer Boel also acceded to the Minister's request to bring forward single farm payments.

There is an open door because it does not make any difference to the Commission. They approved the terms and conditions of the scheme in March 2006 and they approved the financial package that goes with it. It is of no material difference to the Commission whether those farmers complete their works in December of 2008, a deadline in all of them, in good faith, would earnestly like to meet but, due to circumstances outside of their control, are unable to meet. It is immaterial to the Commission.

The key to this debate is the Minister's reluctance to go to Brussels to state to Commissioner Fischer Boel the range of circumstances that have led us into a situation where 12,000 farmers will not be able to complete the works, the consequences of their freedom to farm without fear of prosecution and the environmental benefits of work that cannot be attained, and ask for an extension of the deadline by six months. I have no doubt from the soundings which I have made in the Commission that there is an open door. I fail to see why, given that the Commission approved the scheme initially, the Minister is not prepared to make that request.

The Minister has hidden behind the Commission. He has stated that the Commission says "No". However, it has not said "No". We in this House set up a committee to reflect on the reasons the people said "No" to the Lisbon treaty. One of the reasons is that politicians cannot have it both ways; when we want to take credit for something, we do it all ourselves, but when there is some blame to be apportioned, we blame the Commission.

The Commission is blameless in this matter. The blame rests fairly and squarely in Agriculture House and it is the Minister's responsibility, on behalf of those 12,000 farmers, to go to Brussels to explain the circumstances. As in the case of the early payment of the single farm payment and the extension of the slurry spreading deadline, no doubt the Minister will receive a favourable response from the Commission.

People are not meeting this deadline for a variety of reasons that I will briefly outline. I came across an instance in my constituency of somebody who has planning permission to proceed with a development which has been with An Bord Pleanála for ten months. However, it has yet to get clearance from that board to proceed with the scheme. I have a letter here from a farmer in Athenry, County Galway, who states that on his third attempt, due to third party appeals and objections, he got planning permission in the summer of 2008 but, due to the weather and time constraints, now feels he cannot proceed with those works. The terms force majeure is used in the Department in those circumstances. I appeal to the Minister to consider, under force majeure, those particular circumstances to extend the deadline.

The broader economic issue is the thousands of people outside the farm gate. The construction industry is on its knees, and we have seen 70,000 people added to the dole queues in recent months. The farm contractors' association states that 10,000 jobs will be lost as a result. I implore the Minister to do the mathematics on this. It will cost €100 million a year to put 10,000 on the dole. If one adds to that the VAT receipts and the income tax generated by keeping those people at work for an additional six-month period into 2009, I would suggest the net cost to the Exchequer is minimal.

There are also health and safety reasons. There are farm building sites where people are working long hours late into the night shuttering, pouring concrete and erecting sheds. All of this is being done at high risk because of this artificial deadline that the Minister, at the stroke of a pen, by virtue of a request to the Commission in Brussels, could resolve.

I implore the Minister, for the variety of reasons I outlined, many of which are beyond the resolution of individual farmers, to come to their aid. Weather, materials, contractors and litigation are some of the considerations, but the broader economy and employment is a major consideration as well.

I am pleased to move the motion. I ask all Deputies in the House for their support on it.

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