Jim Mulhall, Kilkenny IFA chair

“We’re directly affected at home which is a huge challenge. We’re in the high band, the 106kg band. We were able to live with that and we could see the reasoning behind it but what’s after catching us is the drop to 220kg.

“On our farm, it means 28 cows or 28 livestock units have to go, be it in youngstock or cows themselves.

“No matter what decision we look at, it’s going to affect our bottom line.

“There’s the worry of the people who are directly affected by the cut and then there’s also the worry of the market disruption to land.

Further upheaval

“Next spring, if farmers are trying to secure more land, it’s going to create further upheaval in the land market in Kilkenny.”

Thomas O’Connor, Kildare IFA chair

“We’re a mixed farm, with a combination of drystock and suckler cows. We buy in a lot of cattle and bring them through to beef. We have sheep and tillage as well.

“The change in the derogation is going to mean the phase out of one of those businesses for me.

“We’re a traditional family farm as such and that model is really the one productive drystock family farm and I think it’s getting absolutely scapegoated with this change to the derogation.

“Financially, I’ve invested a lot in my business over the last few years and I got loans based on repayment capacity due to the numbers of cattle I have. So it has a huge implication for me.”