Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a question on research and training. Harvest 2020 included a target of 100 specialist dairy farm managers per year to graduate from a Teagasc scheme but only 25 entrants per year apply for the scheme. To elaborate on a point made by the Chairman, surely we should increase the training fund rather than have an underspend.

The Minister mentioned that State aid rules prevent him from giving a specialist allocation to grain farmers following the grain crisis. How did we get over the same problem for the horticultural group? When forestry was savaged by high winds a significant payment per hectacre was given to the owners of the forestry. The EU provided €450 million to farmers in eastern Europe when the ban on exports to Russia was introduced. How were we able to get around the State rules for the horticultural and forestry sectors but cannot circumvent the rules now?