Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I appreciate the Minister's response but many farmers are anxious to get ahead with the necessary provision of animal housing. The announcement of the scheme was made on 29 July last. The scheme was not sent to Brussels for approval until 29 September. The Minister has advised that farmers should apply for planning permission but it is difficult to do so without knowing to what types of developments the grant aid will apply. There are no specifications as such for earthen banking, for example, or other types of development.

Does the Minister have any idea when the scheme will be up and running and when farmers will have a simple form to fill out? Will we have a situation similar to that which pertained in the past where there is a 60 page form that will take an enormous amount of time and effort by farmers, or highly paid advisers, to fill out? The Minister said that the scheme will be open to small farmers, those with fewer than 20 livestock units. Has that been finalised? If so, such farmers should not have to pay enormous sums of money to specialist advisers.

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