Mr. Fergal Monaghan:

That is a good point. A results-based programme that incentivises farmers to improve the result is very difficult to cost because its genesis is based on the farmer being able to improve his payments. It makes it very challenging for the designers of the programme to forecast the eventual cost. When we were designing the payment system for the scheme in question, we had a choice. We could have put a system in place that accepted 4,000 farmers and consequently paid out at an extremely low rate. If we took that approach, the money would not incentivise the kind of action we need to incentivise. The Burren programme is on its fourth round at this stage. The programme has been successful in increasing its budget in every round. Even through the worst years of the recession, the Burren programme was able to expand. This was because it was able to demonstrate progress. It is our objective to be able to demonstrate progress also. If we had gone in the other direction and paid at rates such as those mentioned earlier, we would have been able to cope with only 300 or 400 farmers and we would have left thousands behind. We have taken the middle ground, which we believe is sustainable with the budget we have. We will not be able to accommodate 4,000 farmers. The programme will close when all the moneys have been notionally allocated to participants in the programme. I expect there to be in the region of 1,100 farmers. We hope that if we can demonstrate progress within that cohort, there will be potential to expand the pilot project.