Ms Mary Buckley:

It has been stated that agriculture is the backbone of our economy and an important aspect is stimulating economic activity in rural areas and helping businesses become viable. Regarding capital allowances in particular, farmers have had to deal with Food Harvest 2020, the abolition of quotas referred to earlier, and the investment required on farms, particularly on dairy farms. If the capital allowances can be accelerated for farmers who have to invest a good deal of money in building, they will have more money available and they will spend it.

In terms of getting money front-loaded for the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, particularly the dairy equipment scheme, we will need that in the period starting 2015. Come 2019, most of the expansions on farms will have taken place in terms of post-quota and achieving the targets set out in Food Harvest 2020. In terms of the rural development programme, we need to get the TAMS in particular front-loaded, and also GLAS. There is stimulation and investment in activity in rural areas as an off-shoot from GLAS. There is dual benefit in that regard both for the farmer and the economy in general.