Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response but I have absolutely no interest in being involved in negotiations and I am sure nobody else here does. We are certainly not going to do so in this House, in the Dáil or in a committee room. However, I do acknowledge that there are workers who do not think what is being offered to them is fair. We also have three farmers who absolutely refute the contention that they have been treated fairly. I totally understand that the statutory redundancy legislation ties the Minister's hand and limits him to two weeks but, as Senator Higgins has said, we can absolutely make provisions in regulations. It is only fair for the Minister to let us know what his anticipated plans are so that we can constructively proceed with the legislation to make sure it is passed so that the regulations can be drafted. However, if we do not know what is going to be in them, it makes it very onerous for us to say whether we agree with sections of the Bill.

I completely concur with the Minister regarding the fact that he needs a verifiable process and that the three years was moved to five years. I know colleagues here have suggested that we go to ten but I understand why the Minister does not want to go to ten and the precedent that it might set. Senator Boylan is right. We have a long road ahead of us and other businesses will be forced to close by the State's actions but we need to recognise that there are people here who cannot earn a living anymore. We have people who have spent millions of their own euros investing in and improving their farms because the State and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine made them do so over recent years and they are going to get absolutely zero compensation. Regardless of the language used, I cannot think how anybody could think that is morally responsible or ethical. It is not. I understand the Minister wants this legislation passed. So do we. However, we absolutely need to know what his anticipated plans are for compensation for the workers and for fair compensation for these farmers, or at least reimbursement of some of the money they have spent on their land over recent years. What is on offer today is absolutely not fair. We genuinely need to be fair to the workers and the farmers. Any understanding of a just transition, regardless of one's party, must include compensating people when we take their ability to earn a living away from them.