James Bannon (Fine Gael)

There is a genuine fear among farmers that they will not be allowed continue to farm in the manner in which their fathers and forefathers farmed. The restrictions are impinging on areas designated for agricultural development. There are those who want to build a nice house in a rural area and then object to farming practices. A person who lives in an area designated for agricultural development does so by choice and should not come in and disrupt the nature of activities in the area. Sadly, in many cases there has been such disruption, not always by Irish people but by foreigners. While they are very welcome – we are all citizens of the European Union – they can have an effect on farming activities in an area by objecting to a development and spending considerable amounts of cash in getting their objections through. As a result, farmers are inhibited from farming in the manner in which they have done for several generations. I want to ensure they are not inhibited from farming. Up until a few years ago, it was the main industry in Ireland and a much respected one.

Amendment put and declared lost.