Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)

Yes. Why are we dabbling with seven different organisations that are getting money but none of which is able to function to the standard that is required to make sure there is a passport straightaway? I remember it being agreed at this committee that the AIM system would be brought in and a person would have the passport for their horse immediately. That was a long time ago and it is still not there and we have this embarrassment now. A lot of money goes into the horse sector every year, voted on by everyone of us here. We will be thinking twice about voting for it after what we saw the other night. The sad part of it is that it is taxpayers' money going in and it was an embarrassment to see on television what went on, as was rightly pointed out.

If we look at the cattle system, it is the best in the world. We could not commend the Department more. Is there not a lot of money going to voluntary groups or NGOs dealing with welfare? Where is that going? How accountable is that? Is the council veterinarian not supposed to look at welfare? Is there a heap of money going out with no accountability for it and no results given what was on that television programme the other night.

On top of that, when a farmer puts in their single farm payment application, the maps they put in must include all of their farm. If there is a bit of bad ground, a yard, etc., they have to be included, although it is excluded from the payment. When an abattoir is looking for an application, is the whole lot not put on the map but with that piece excluded or whatever?