Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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I do not know about that.

Anyway, I have a question about the payroll underspend. The underspend is significant. I support unequivocally what the Minister is doing in terms of subsuming the savings into various critical areas that need additional funding. The aim is to meet targets like the 85% advances, which is most useful. There is a €12 million underspend in that area. Is it difficult to recruit in that area? What was the projected level of recruitment? What specific areas were targeted? Was the recruitment for Teagasc advisers or specialists or researchers? Many good young agricultural graduates are coming on stream and I imagine they would be delighted to get into the Department to learn and get some experience before moving out.

Considerable work is done on inspections. We know the Department is reviewing the Agriculture Appeals Act. The quicker the review, the better. I read with some alarm two articles by Darragh McCullough in the past two weeks. The reports would make a person's hair stand on end. I know that Department officials and those dealing with it are somewhat numbed as well in so far as they appear to be perplexed by the complexity of the various things they have to deal with. These things are imposed by Europe - I am not saying they are imposed by Department officials. Certainly, we need to streamline this area, especially if people are dropping out because of the associated complexity and because the eligibility criteria are so strict.

My next question relates to targeted agricultural modernisation schemes. Let us suppose someone is spending €45,000 or €50,000 and buys a big bulk tank or new milking machine. What happens if Department officials arrive the following day and the farmer has everything there and is using the machinery, but then is knocked back? A person can have all the degrees in the world – I have gathered a few in my time – but if there is no common sense then no degree is worth a sugar. I know that myself. I have one case going into the Department and the details of it are frightening. The person is an extremely hard worker and is working desperately. He is spending €60,000 or €70,000. He is in for 40%. His is putting in new robotic milking apparatus. I think someone arrived. The matter is with the Minister now. We are in the middle of appeals and whinges and everything else. I think we have to bring some common sense to these matters. He bought the machinery because of the incentive provided by the TAMS measure. Otherwise, he would not be on the pitch at all. The Department's position will come as some slap to him and he will be €30,000 or €40,000 out. We have to bring some common sense to it. I realise we must have rules and regulations, but he did not start it one month, three weeks or a week in advance - it was one day ahead.

A great friend of mine down in Mullingar used to scourge everyone. His name is Eunan Bannon. He was a sheep man. He always wanted this welfare arrangement. He was a great advocate of the welfare sheep.