Mr. Colm Hayes:

I do not have the overall picture in regard to Teagasc staffing levels. However, I can give the Deputy the experience of some of the CAP strategic plan, CSP, schemes that have come along so far, and non-SCP schemes. Teagasc has made the case, for example, in respect of the opening of the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES at the end of last year, that it needed additional advisers on the ground to service the level of requests it expected from farmers. It got approval at the time for the temporary appointment of 60 advisers. My understanding is that since then it has rolled some of those over to other work on a temporary basis again, such as the opening of the derogation scheme in quarter 1 of this year. It is on a case-by-case basis. This is not the full picture in regard to the overall staffing need. However, to answer the Deputy's first question, as he raised the issue on whether the CSP or the CAP and its schemes place additional pressure on the advisory services. We are responsive to that when the case is made on that scheme-by-scheme basis.