In parallel with its Tipperary-based land purchases, Coolmore and its associates have also purchased significant quantities of land in other parts of the country that are not listed by Caitríona Morrissey.

Indeed, other investors have large land banks around Ireland. The Comer brothers and the Al Maktoum family are two other significant land buyers.

Everyone acknowledges the investment Coolmore has made in schools and in Tipperary towns in terms of employment opportunities.

However, from a farming perspective, you undoubtedly would have to question the ability of local landowners to compete for land against the scale of such a global investor.

Fraction

It might only be a fraction of the land in the county, but, only around 2% of land comes on the market in any one year.

A large buyer can skew the price out of the reach of farmers making returns from farming.

Is there a national policy discussion needed on land ownership? Should there be a maximum threshold? It has happened in other countries.

If the Chinese government bought 15,000 acres in Ireland, needless to say we would be having a policy discussion. There has to be a happy medium.

We will endeavour to look into best policy land ownership in other countries.