Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a complaint about the targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS. As a politician and farmer, many people have made representations to me about trying to build for dairying, trying to get dairies right and milk machines etc. in starting up in the business. I spent three or four frustrating months getting on to the Department to get the all-clear for the farmers to go and build to start milking in the spring, in January and February, like most do. I am getting the same with GLAS. Why is the system so slow? With modern technology, why cannot the system be up and running, particularly when it comes to buildings? All they need is to be allowed to go ahead and build and then, of course, the farmer has to go out physically and build it. I wonder why are the payments from TAMS or GLAS under any of its headings so slow? Can the Department quicken the process, in particular, when a farmer is waiting to get a building in place to start up dairying in the following spring?