Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister referred to the farmers' charter earlier. In a past life, I sat on the farmers' charter group. There were always specific timescales put in place on the farmers' charter. I respect that the commencement of TAMS will cover a number of schemes, but if one makes an application, there should be a timescale within which the application has to be dealt with and the same should be the case when one is approved for payment. That is the way the farmers' charter used to work in the past. It has gone out the window as regards TAMS II but I think we need to put a strict timescale in place. I presume the farmers' charter group meets on a regular basis. Departmental officials used to be obliged to come before that group and defend the Department's payment record.

We need to get that operating again for TAMS, regardless of whether it is 30 days, 42 days or whatever is the agreed timescale for approval of applications and payment after work is completed. Given the cashflow problems, there should no delay in payment for jobs of work done. That is critical. People are in dire need of those grant payments. When payment starts in July, I hope it will be made quickly and promptly to all those who have been approved.