Ms Alice Doyle:

I agree with the Senator on a number of issues. For example, we keep farmers on the farm by using farm assist. Farmers are needed in the countryside and farm assist might be part of the way to keep them there. Farmers are needed on the farm to work and cannot move away to look for jobs elsewhere because part of the work they have to do is based where they live. As the supports have been withdrawn from farmers, we need more social welfare assistance through farm assist. For example, CAP has been reduced, particularly in the east coast where it has been reduced dramatically as a support for farmers. Therefore, there is a gap that may have to be filled through social welfare and farm assist is an example of that. We talk about all of the money coming through. The Senator listed all of the schemes. In theory, that money is coming in but it comes at the wrong time of the year, it is not paid in time, or the bureaucracy around it is so high that farmers find it very difficult to apply for. I know Mr. Buckley wants to comment on that also.