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

They really have a story to tell and a challenge to meet. They are being resourced to do it. They are highly motivated people. The matter of staff recruitment and retention is inexorably tied up with public sector pay and it would be very difficult to specifically ring-fence this for Bord Bia when there is a host of other sectors in the economy seeking higher than the average pay increases. They do an excellent job.

We are not quite sure why there has not been full take-up in the sheep welfare scheme. The scheme was designed in very close consultation with farm organisations and it is very practical. It is designed for the needs of both the hill sheep farmer side and the lowland farmer. There are options that can be used. We were surprised we did not have closer to a full take-up. In any scheme that might happen. Now that the first tranche of claimants are out there and we will re-open it, we hope to see more people coming in. It is a very simple scheme to comply with.

The review of the appeal system is up and running. I have a slightly different view that we should be careful what we wish for. I believe the system worked reasonably well but the review is up and running and has eminent people involved with it. Let us see where the chips will fall. The agricultural appeals model is different from others and perhaps we should be glad it was somewhat different. Let us see how this plays out.

On specific cases of the targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS, there is a requirement for a level of inspections. I would like to think Department staff are, by and large, very practical people with such inspections. That is my experience. There are regulations, compliance and audits of which we must be cognisant. If the Deputy has an individual case he would like to bring to our attention, we are certainly prepared to look at it.

I also believe in the beef data and genomics programme, BDGP. It can bring a degree of scientific evidence to the industry that is required. We have a very commercially focused dairy sector. If we could get 30,000 to 40,000 highly focused commercial beef people, we would have a great foundation for an industry. The problem is the industry is currently haphazard and fractured, with too many cattle movements and not enough cradle-to-grave operations on the beef side. On that basis, too many people are trying to make a slice from an animal. The BDGP has the potential to do for the beef side what genetic improvement has done for the dairy side over many years. In any scheme, in due course we must look at it to see if it delivers and whether we need to tweak it. We would have thought there would have been more applicants. Apart from the few that came in, thousands of people were in it and left voluntarily. There were nearly 5,000 who originally applied and did not activate their application. The big challenge in the Irish agricultural industry is to drive a substantial cohort of commercial beef operations. All the evidence is there, from the Teagasc farms on different soil types, that although the incomes may not be comparable with dairy, one can have a decent income in the beef sector if all the correct management decisions are being made. BDGP is only one aspect and grassland management etc. is another. It is a good scheme and in due course we will have to look at it and see if it is delivering and whether it should be tweaked etc. It has great potential to deliver.