Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

The negotiations that will take place between now and this time next year in finalising the CAP deal will determine a great deal in the context of the future of agriculture in this country. For Ireland, a wide variety of issues must be resolved, not to mention those which must be dealt with in the context of the CAP. The Minister understands quite well the reference date has already caused distortion in the rental market. I am encouraged by the comments he made on having something in place by the end of the year on the rental markets, but farmers have jumped ahead and I hope they are not making management decisions that will be detrimental to them. I encourage the Minister to be forthright and upfront with the main stakeholders on whatever proposal the Department will put in place. From what I understand and hear at the farm gate, the use of 2014 as the reference year is having a serious impact.

With regard to greening, the less bureaucracy we have the better because for far too long complaints have been made about the amount of bureaucracy which has built up around the single farm payment and European moneys. We must make a concerted effort to minimise bureaucracy in so far as possible. Emerging markets are coming into play and there is an opportunity for farmers to farm rather than complying with regulation after regulation.

I do not think the use of 2011 as a reference year is making any difference and I encourage the Minister to ensure a proposal is brought forward with regard to 2014. We should ensure the minimum amount of bureaucracy is in place after these CAP negotiations.

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