Farmers are going through a most horrendous time in this country with crippling fertiliser costs as well as the price of green diesel going up €1 per litre due to carbon tax and VAT increases on fuel as the Government stands idly by. I met members of the IFA and other farm organisations in west Cork over the weekend. They told me of the mental stress farmers are going through as many are on the verge of losing their farms, livelihoods and homes.

Another crisis that looks like being thrown at farmers by the Government is the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, in which the Government states that the sectoral emissions ceilings range for agriculture will be equivalent to a percentage emissions reduction of between 22% and 30%. Farm groups in west Cork have told me the 22% target would have a significant social impact on rural Ireland and would be nearly impossible to achieve, never mind dreaming of a 30% target. Last night, on Virgin Media's "The Tonight Show", the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, suggested that farmers would be expected to reduce cow numbers. Does the Taoiseach agree with the Minister's suggestion? What will the sectoral emissions ceilings be set at this year? Will it be 22% or less?

I dealt with that in response to Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. Notwithstanding the huge input costs, this year will be a good year for dairy farming, not horrendous, devastating or catastrophic.

That is shocking.

There are concerns.

There are costs.

Notwithstanding that, and the Minister has taken steps, we need balance in the debate. That is what I am saying. I understand fully the concerns farmers have in respect of emissions ceilings.

Get the wellies on and go and meet them.

I fully respect those concerns but we are also providing over €1.5 billion in environmental funding to the farming community and we are willing to work with it. Farmers here are efficient compared to other farming systems across the world.

What is the percentage?

We do not yet have agreement or finalisation on the various sectoral emissions across the economy. It is not only one sector but a whole range of sectors on which we must get finalisation of the figures.