Representatives of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association came up to Agriculture House yesterday. Their concerns are about proposals to rewet peat-type soils and to stop people draining peat-type soils that have not been drained yet or have had only a little drainage. This will greatly and adversely impact on farmers' ability to farm, especially on marginal farms in places like south Kerry, west Kerry and all along the western seaboard. I am glad the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, met this group. One of their asks is that mineral-type soils not be included and they say there should not be a compulsory order.

I thank the Deputy. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, to answer.

The group is saying that payment rules are going to be affected by these new GAEC 2 proposals. I am asking the Ministers and the Taoiseach to consider this. It looks as though this proposal came from the Greens. I want it to be stopped.

I reassure Deputy Healy-Rae that the GAEC 2 proposals will not have negative impacts for farmers. These baseline elements were agreed as part of the CAP strategic plan in 2021. Ireland had a derogation in 2022 and 2023 while we put a proposal together. We are the last remaining country in Europe to make a proposal in this space. We would have been in breach since 1 January 2025 if we did not do that this year and I am not willing, as Minister for agriculture, to subject the State or our CAP funding to potential fines of €100 million per year. At the heart of the proposal we have put to the Commission and on which we consulted all of the farming bodies, including the INHFA and many others - I accept their points of concern but I disagree with them - is an approach that will allow farmers in the GAEC 2 area who have more than 50% of peat in their soil to continue their normal agricultural activity, continue to plough, reseed and maintain drains-----

I thank the Minister.

-----and have new drainage in line with existing national planning legislation.

Deputy Mythen is next.

Will you stop people from cutting turf, Minister?

It has nothing to do with that.

Sorry, Minister.