I was struck by a conversation with my local 30-cow suckler and sheep farmer who was game ball to invest €15,000 to retrofit a dribble bar onto an existing slurry tank.

We talked through the proposal. He hasn’t got a reliable contractor option, he has a number of small slurry collection tanks and a 100-horsepower tractor already, but all he really has is four to five days of slurry spreading per year. Grant aid wasn’t an option.

If we just isolate this as one small example where farmers are actively investing in combatting climate change, it speaks volumes.

Put the €15,000 over five years, that’s €3,000 per year, leaving aside the increased running costs. Put that over the five days of spreading per year and it’s €600 per day.

The splash plate was working fine, but the farmer is afraid of the inspectors. You regularly hear all farmers branded as climate deniers – nothing could be further from the truth.