Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I understand that one cannot win all the time. The issue has caused some confusion, although to be fair to the Minister he has provided clarity on the matter in recent days.

I ask the Minister and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Pascal Donohoe, to examine another issue which came to my attention this evening. Under a new tachograph system for tractors being introduced, someone transporting cattle to a mart more than 30 miles away must have a tachograph fitted. In many areas, farmers must travel more than 30 miles with cattle and they should not need a tachograph to do so. This requirement is the result of an EU regulation introduced in 2006. In the next few days, a farmer will appear in court for transporting straw from County Tipperary to County Mayo, a distance of more than 100 km, without a tachograph. It is permissible to transport sludge or forestry poles around the country without a tachograph. This is an example of the lunacy of EU bureaucracy and legislation that is crippling people.

I ask the Minister to address the issues I have raised to benefit people who are doing simple things as they seek to make a living and provide for their families.

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