Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

For fear that I might not get in at all, I will just make a couple of brief points. I see that gap and I am going for it.

I welcome the Minister's comments regarding the suckler herd and the need for a welfare scheme of some type. I would support such a scheme. I also acknowledge the difficulties involved with a short-term environmental scheme. From my point of view, spending constraints apply with regard to the establishment of a new scheme or the putting in place of a mechanism to make payments in a short period. People may wish to play politics but there is no doubt that the Minister must operate within those constraints. There is only so much which can be done with the money that is available. We must ensure that the maximum amount of such money goes to producers and farmers and that it is not tied up in extra administration and unnecessary red tape. Perhaps establishing a suckler scheme would be a better way to use the money than trying to set up a short-term environmental scheme that would only last for eight or nine months of the year.

Under the administration budget, the Department appears to have spent €500,000 more than projected in respect of office premises expenses up to the end of August. If a Teagasc office closes, do the expenses relating to its maintenance remain with Teagasc or do they become the responsibility of the Department? Who is responsible for disposing of it and to where does the money go?

I welcome the Minister's comments on horse welfare and his indication that an allowance will be provided, if necessary. It will depend on the weather this winter. There is a potential problem in this regard which might need to be addressed. I support the horse and greyhound fund, which has been the subject of significant cuts in recent years. I hope that, at the very least, we will be able to maintain the level of funding that was made available for the current year. This industry is worth over €1 billion to the economy and it gives employment to in excess of 17,000 people.