Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Go raibh míle maith agat.

Nuair a bhí mé anseo ar maidin chuala mé an Teachta agus an Teachta Pádraic McCormack ag ardú na ceiste. Tá suim agam sa cheist mar tá aithne agam ar roinnt mhaith de lucht pleanála REPS atá ag obair go príobháideach, chomh maith le daoine atá fostaithe ag Teagasc. There is no doubt there are job losses in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in accordance - as the Deputy mentioned - with public recruitment policy. Many of these are due to early retirement, but this is not what we are talking about today. I listened with interest to the Deputy's letter from Professor Boyle.

In accordance with the Act establishing Teagasc, responsibility for the provision of education, training and advisory services in agriculture rests with Teagasc itself. To enable it to carry out its work Teagasc receives substantial Exchequer resources each year as well as consent to appoint staff up to a certain ceiling. It is a matter for Teagasc to allocate its financial and staff resources in accordance with its own priorities and in line with Government policy for the development of the sector. I hope the Deputy's raising of this issue will help us to square the circle and ensure that we have proper delivery of Teagasc and Government policy.

I pay tribute to the work Teagasc has done in assisting the implementation of the REP scheme since its launch in 1994. It has actively promoted farmer participation, provided excellent planning and support services and provided specialist and research-based support for the ongoing development of the scheme. Much of the credit for the success of the scheme is due in no small way to the consistently excellent service provided by Teagasc over the years.

Teagasc currently has about 43% of the REPS planning market, the balance being taken up very satisfactorily by private planners. To provide its existing REPS service Teagasc employs a dedicated body of REPS planners comprising 60 planners employed on a permanent basis and 101 on a contract basis. The REPS planners are employed by Teagasc on a self-financing basis; that is, they generate enough income through fees and so on to cover the cost of their own salaries, PRSI and travel costs, as well as the overhead costs for the operation of the scheme. This ensures fair competition with private planners. I emphasise, however, that the planners do not generate a net profit for Teagasc, as has been suggested. The requirement of Teagasc is to ensure that the service provided is fully self-financing.

The contracts of employment of the 101 planners and all other contract staff employed by Teagasc are with Teagasc itself, not my Department. I understand from Teagasc that among the contract planners, 34 contracts will terminate at the end of June 2009, a further 41 will terminate at the end of December 2009 and 26 at the end of June 2010. The ban on recruitment and promotion in the public service announced by the Minister for Finance on 27 March to correct imbalances in the public finances applies to temporary appointments on a fixed-term basis and to the renewal of such contracts. In other words, Teagasc is prevented by Government decision from renewing these contracts. However, those planners, who are able people, are in a position to work on contract either privately or with Teagasc. There is flexibility as part of their employment.

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