Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Penrose. On the recruitment and savings element, my own take is that the embargo on recruitment for a number of years meant the age profile increased significantly. We are now trying to recruit but we are also losing quite rapidly at the other end with people going to retirement early and just because they have reached the age. We are running to stand still. We are just about getting ahead of it now and part of that comes from recruiting people in mid-year or the back end of the year, so we are not getting the full-year cost. I am advised there is no particular sector where there is a specific shortage but it is across the Department. We were hoping to get our staff numbers from just under 3,000 to 3,200 over the course of the past year. We are starting to make better progress but it is, as I stated, a case of running flat out to just about get ahead of the attrition rate.

On the installation aid matter, a value-for-money audit was done on the scheme that was quite critical of it as an untargeted approach. I do not know if the Department or the Comptroller and Auditor General did it. At that stage one got the money and there was no specific obligation on what to do with it. In recent years with the national reserve and young farmer top-up it costs as much and probably more than the installation aid but it has a specific focus. If there is on-farm investment, there will be a 60% grant and priority access to the national reserve for young farmers. These are practical and more focused elements. I appreciate there are hidden expenses to taking over a farm and installation aid money was important for that. Some of those expenses were related to improving the infrastructure on the farm, which now has a higher rate of targeted grant aid.

I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy's comments about Bord Bia. Not to tell the committee its business but perhaps it would be a very useful exercise to invite delegates from Bord Bia before it.