Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

The aim of this amendment is to give more options in respect of penalties for breaches of regulations in marts when granting a licence. At the time of granting such a licence, one can attach certain conditions to it. For example, up to now, if a mart was not being run in accordance with the regulations, the only option available was to not reissue its licence or to revoke its licence. Whereas one could put in place conditions when the licence was being granted in the first place, one could not add them subsequently. This amendment proposes that one can put in place conditions in respect of a licence halfway through its term. It ensures that we do not only have the nuclear option of essentially revoking the licence. Instead, one can put in place conditions in respect of the retention of the licence. It is a fairly pragmatic measure which is about providing non-nuclear options in terms of penalties that may apply. Consequently, in a case in which those running a mart are not behaving as they should, by breaking the rules or failing to apply the regulations, one will have an option other than simply revoking the licence and shutting down the mart. One could attach certain conditions to the continuing license of that mart. This measure should be welcomed by mart operators and farming organisations.