Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To put it into context, we are talking about approximately 1,000 tillage farmers, 700 of whom have their ecological focus areas and the hedgerows on their land. Within the specific area of concern and the issue we are discussing here, the numbers involve about 300 tillage farmers. It is a question of balance. I accept Deputy Ryan's points, up to a point, but if we are to force those 300 tillage farmers, by virtue of these regulations, out of bean growing, or pea growing as the alternative protein crop, we will be forcing them back into a straitjacket in the type of crops they would then be harvesting. We would lose the diversity of crops that we currently have. Beans and peas have a nitrogen fixing element to them so they are environmentally beneficial as well. In looking at the proposal in the round, it must be taken into account that beans and peas are probably the only protein crops that are grown in the Republic of Ireland. We are substantially dependent on imported protein sources for animal ruminant feed. If we make it so difficult for those farmers to continue to grow protein crops we would be more dependent, with a heavier carbon footprint, on imported protein sources. It is not that I do not recognise some merit in the Deputy's argument - seven out of ten tillage farmers are actually compliant with ecological focus areas - it is a question of where is the best ecological gain. We believe there is some ecological gain in having a diversity of planted crops, in having the nitrogen fixing associated with these protein crops and thereby minimising our dependence on imported protein which is essential for a balanced ruminant feed.

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