Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I advocate that we have an exclusive scheme on this issue because we know the benefits it brings. Rather than forcing everybody through the TAMS route, which does not cater for everybody, and through a route that excludes a large cohort in the spreading of slurry - that is, farm contractors - we should have an Exchequer-funded scheme for this. I have said this at the agriculture committee. It makes no sense that, at Exchequer level, we have a direct scheme that will allow somebody who lives across the road from a DART station and may have ten public bus route options available to them, to get a grant directly from the Government for the purchase of a new car, yet we do not have a scheme in place to provide a grant directly to those people who we know can make a massive impact simply by changing their slurry spreading machinery. Is the Minister open to that type of concept? Is he willing to discuss with the Department of Finance how it can be delivered?

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