I support the proposed Order of Business. I want to acknowledge the very significant role of the former Minister of State at the Department of agriculture, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae.

As someone who sits on and is elected from the agricultural panel and had a lot of direct dealings with the former Minister of State regarding forestry and the new forestry strategy, I have to say that he gave it his all. To be fair to him, I wish to acknowledge that. We worked well with our committee. He engaged with the agricultural committee well. He set out, for the first time as long as I am in these Houses, in direct engagement with people on the ground through his forestry work all over the country. I spoke to a number of civil servants last night about him and they said that the one thing about him was that he was on the case at 6 a.m. every morning. He took a huge interest. I will leave it at that. I wish him well in his long, distinguished career in politics that will go on further.

The other issue I raise today relates to solar panels. Before I do so, I acknowledge that my family and I have owned and farmed a substantial amount of land at the point of Narraghmore, County Kildare, which links on to Ballindrum and Fontstown. The leader of Fianna Fáil in this Chamber knows the area well and will agree with me in this regard. We have a situation where we have a massive planning application for in excess of 100 ha of solar panels on what is prime agricultural land. This is in an area where there is a substantial amount – more than most countries – of broccoli growing. We have an issue with regard to sustainable agriculture. There are challenges in that regard, especially the number of hectares we can allow to be taken for solar panels. I do not want to particularly comment about this planning application because it is my intention to make a submission to An Coimisiún Pleanála. We need a constructive discussion about the challenges around solar panels, solar energy and how they fit in with sustainable agriculture and land use, which are important.