Mr. John Hughes:

I am a professional contractor of 43 years standing. That is all I have ever done for my whole life. My brother and I inherited the business from our late father. I farm a 20 ha farm or in old money, 50 acres. I have applied for grant aid through TAMS but because my holding is so small, I am not eligible and because of my age - I will be 61 on my next birthday - my score is not high enough for the scheme. These are the two negatives that forced me out. As a farmer I am eligible and I get through the first door but I am not able to pass beyond the next door because in terms of the criteria, I do not tick the boxes. The question that should be asked of those who are applying for a grant for a machine is what amount of work they are going to do with said machine. For instance, I have two strip-till drills that are out working. I have 22 separate clients for a strip-till drill to whom I can bring value over the course of the season. That stops 22 people from going out to buy their own drill. It would not make economic sense for most of them to do so anyway. My smallest client for that job last year had 1 ha and the largest had 88 acres or 35-odd ha. Despite the value I can bring to those 22 people I do not get any State support through TAMS for my strip-till drills. They are eligible for grant aid but the scheme criteria do not allow me to venture any further than the fact that I am a farmer. My farm is a hobby farm. I use it for experimentation using the strip-till drill, to promote it. It is one of the primary development areas for nitrates, for locking up carbon in the soil, organic matter and so forth. That is my experience of it. I am a farmer but I am also a professional contractor and my farm is a hobby, basically.