Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We must ensure that this is a simple scheme. If farmers are going to be tied up in red tape and facing issues with regard to scales and so forth, that will be a turn off. Given that the figure involved - €40 - is deemed to be very low by the farming community, many farmers will opt out.

Another issue of concern in my area is the fact that the application process is online. Unfortunately, in my part of the country access to broadband is very poor. Roscommon is one of the worst counties in terms of broadband access and we need to see the urgent roll-out of the national broadband plan. Has the Department put something in place to ensure that all farmers, including those who do not have broadband access, will be able to get details of the scheme, including the closing date for applications? It is crucial that we address those issues.

What are the Minister's plans for the scheme if it is over-subscribed?

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